Our 2015 Graduates ~ Oh, the Places You'll Go!

It is hard to believe another school year is coming to an end.  With it comes the realization that a wonderful group of students will be graduating and leaving us.  This year's group is a large one, which makes it even harder to say goodbye.  We have known quite a few of them since they were babies and some of them have never known a life that didn't include the little yellow school.  Where did the time go? 

This year's graduates will all be beginning grade one in September after having spent anywhere from one to four years at our little yellow school.  They will be attending French Immersion schools, Private Schools and Public and Catholic Schools.  They have grown and matured during their time at school and we will remember them for their love for learning, their compassion and helpfulness, and the wonderful examples they set for their fellow classmates.  Thank you.

These graduates are starting off on a new journey, a new part of their lives.  Dr. Seuss wrote a wonderful book, Oh, the Places You'll Go!  to describe the ups and downs that life presents while encouraging each one of us to find the success that lies within.  Excerpts from this book follow.

Here are our 2015 graduates!

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

Adele
A bubbly girl who brightened the classroom and the spirits of those around her. 

Ava
A loving and guiding honourary big sister  to many of her classmates.

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

Cheryl
A sensitive and caring girl who quietly guided the youngest members of our classroom.

 

 

Daniel
A good friend to his classmates and an enthusiastic member of the classroom.

  

You're on your own.  And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

 

  

Ellen
Our oldest graduate and a steady,confident role model for all of her classmates.

   

Elyse
A gentle and helpful girl who always had a lot of patience for her younger classmates..

On and on you will hike.

And I know you'll hike far

and face up to your problems

whatever they are.

Ethan
A calm and dependable boy who was everyone's first choice for a work partner.
 

Iva
A social butterfly and the peacemaker of the classroom.

You'll get mixed up, of course,

as you already know.

You'll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.



Lazaros
An enthusiastic boy with a big personality which all of his classmates gravitated toward.

 

 

Lukas
A friendly, kind boy and an honourary big brother to all his classmates.

 

 

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

 

 

 

Natalie
A natural born leader who was always ready to lend a hand to her classmates.

 

Noah
A friendly, natural born athlete who was a good friend to all his classmates.

 And will you succeed?

Yes!  You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

 

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

Shayan
An inquisitive and detail-oriented boy who amazed us with his wealth of knowledge.
 

 So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

 

Our graduates with a 'Hand Tree' gift for the school.

 

We made it!

A Taste of Summer ~ Making Strawberry Tarts

The children absolutely love cooking and baking.  This week, each child made their own scrumptious strawberry tart.  While this may sound ambitious, it was actually relatively simple.

Each child was given a frozen prepared tart shell.  We began by cutting our strawberries into tiny pieces.

 

 

The strawberry pieces were placed in small bowls.  The children sprinkled some sugar on the berries and stirred to coat them.

 

 

 

The berries were spooned into tart shells.

 

 

An oatmeal crumb topping was sprinkled on the unbaked tarts.

The tarts were placed in the oven to bake.

Twenty minutes later they were done!

 

 

The children thoroughly enjoyed making the tarts and licking up the excess sugar and strawberry juice left in the bowls.  Our classrooms were so quiet during the baking activity as all the children were so focussed on the preparation of the tarts.  The children took the tarts home to share with their families.  All agreed the tarts were scrumptious!

A Splish Splashing Good Time ~ Our Class Trip

At the end of May all of our students visited a local outdoor education centre to participate in a field and stream study. 

Our trip began with a much anticipated bus ride!

Boarding the Bus

When we arrived at the outdoor education centre, we went to meet our guides.  We were divided into two groups and started off on our adventure.

Ready to Explore

Through The Woods

 

Over The Bridge

One of our stops was the learning hut near the meadow.  Our guides told us a little about the characteristics of insects, what they eat, how they move and the things they do to survive.  The children also shared some information such as the fact that insects are vertebrates. 



Hopping Like a Grasshopper

Talking About Camouflage

We pretended that we were birds looking for insects to eat in the meadow.  We were searching for bits of wool hidden in the grass.

In The Meadow

 

In The Meadow



 

A Great Find

 

We brought our 'insects' back to the education hut and sorted them by colour.  

Sorting

 

Sorting

 

The Sorted Piles

 

 

Once the wool was sorted, we discovered it was much easier to find the bright pieces of wool.  Birds also find it easier to see the bright insects.

 

The highlight of our morning was the time we spent in the stream.  The children were each given a container and let loose to explore in the stream.

 

 



 

 

  

 

We did find some water insects.

K. and Her Mom

K.'s Find

 

A Water Insect (At the Bottom of the Photograph)

 

The morning went so quickly!  Thank you to all the moms, dads and grandparents who joined us for this trip.  We had a fantastic morning!

The Mysterious Cocoon

 Recently, all the students at our little yellow school were outside in the playground enjoying a beautiful spring day.  One of our six year olds excitedly ran over to me and said with great urgency,  “Mrs. P., come quick!  I found something!  I think it’s a cocoon!”  We quickly ran over to the side gate accompanied by an entourage of fellow students.  This is what we saw.



The Mysterious Cocoon - The Side Gate

 

There were actually two.  One was on the side gate and one was on the deck.  Can you guess what they are?

The Mysterious Cocoon - The Deck

He had found spider egg sacs!  Little baby spiders were beginning to crawl their way out of the sacs. 


The children were fascinated by the little baby spiders and kept going to check on them. 

By the end of the school day, the little spiders had all crawled away.

The hatching spiders brought to mind the classic children’s story, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.  Originally published in 1952, Charlotte’s Web is a book that continues to resonate with readers young and old.  It is the story of a little girl named Fern, her pig Wilbur, and a spider named Charlotte.   I went home that evening and dug out my childhood copy, now yellowed with age.  Our experience in the playground reminded the teachers of a part in the story.  In Chapter 22, A Warm Wind, Charlotte’s babies are born.   (The following excerpt has been condensed.)
 

One fine sunny morning, after breakfast, Wilbur stood watching his precious sac. He wasn’t thinking of anything much.  As he stood there, he noticed something move.  He stepped closer and stared.  A tiny spider crawled from the sac.  It was no bigger than a grain of sand, no bigger than the head of a pin.
 

I have added Charlotte’s Web to my pile of summer reading.  Re-reading it will be just like visiting with an old friend.  If you have never read it, it is well worth reading.  If you have read it, perhaps this summer is a wonderful time to share this endearing story of friendship with your own children.