April 20-24

Hello KA families,

It was great to have a five day week in class! On Wednesday, we harvested our crops from our mini garden in class. We had a variety of reactions to the taste test, but regardless of the flavour preferences, students were proud of their harvest. On Thursday, we started sunflower seeds and we will monitor their growth over the next few weeks.

This week we read What To Do With A Problem and brainstormed ideas on problem solving skills. We wrote about our own problems and the problem solving skills and I got to see some of these strategies in action. We will continue to encourage independent problem solving skills and using art and literature to do so is a powerful way for young children to feel in control.

We also read Ahoy, Mate, Ahoy! Miss Molly Molloy by local PEI author (and teacher) Lisa Carmody Doiron and illustrated by fellow Islander Patrick Guindon. Lisa kindly donated this book to West Kent and she included an information sheet for students to take home that were sent home in the homework bags today. It was truly a beautiful story with bold and engaging illustrations. The class really enjoyed this book and connected with the themes of family and the connections to our home Island. We completed a reaction activity imagining what was below the waves. Students used their imagination and what they know about the sea to complete this activity and we displayed it in the hallway.

Soon, we will start our walks to Victoria Park. Permission forms were sent home earlier this week in the homework bags to be filled out and returned to school by Monday. Thank you to those who have already returned them. We hope to walk over once per week to explore the environment and observe seasonal changes. If the weather cooperates, we will walk over for the first time on Earth Day, which is next Wednesday. I will let you know early next week if we can use that plan.