Opening Our Time Capsules

Back in September we  created first grade time capsules (see post titled Time Capsules). Students measured their height with string, drew self portraits and wrote down a few of their favourite things.  We wrapped them up with instructions...do NOT to open until June 2013!  The class was super excited to open their time capsules this week, but first they had to redo the same activities for comparison.  They had fun comparing string lengths to see how much they had grown and looking at their portraits side by side.  What a terrific year we had, full of BIG learning and growth!  Congratulations Division 17!  Wishing you and your families a wonderful summer.

Days at School - Graphing Monthly Tallies

During calendar time we record one tally mark for each day we've been at school on a monthly tally.  At the end of each month we add up the tally marks and record the total number of days we were at school.  We also have a tooth chart.  When someone loses a tooth, they print their name on sticky note and put it on our tooth chart.  At the end of the month we save the names as a record of how many teeth were lost that particular month.  This week, we pulled out the monthly tallies from the year and recorded the data on a graph.

Cates Park - Year End Field Trip

On Monday we spent the day exploring Cates Park in North Vancouver.  The ancestral name for this land in Deep Cove is Whey-Ah-Whichen, which means 'faces the wind'.  The kids spotted the playground and quickly worked up an appetite for snack.  We took the Malcolm Lowery forest trail through the towering firs to another playground and the site of the historic Dollar Mill.  The remnants of the lumber mill still stand fortress like, complete with stone tunnels covered in moss and foliage.  It's magical.  Imaginative play just happens.  Who wouldn't want to be king of that castle?  From here, we ventured down to the beach for some seaside exploring, which included looking for crabs, shell gathering, gooey ducks and rock skipping.  We ended up back on the grassy hillside overlooking Burrard Inlet where we enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch.  The perfect end to an amazing year in first grade.