For the last week of school before the winter break, we had the opportunity for Mike, from the Young Actors Project, join us for three drama workshops. Students engaged their imaginations and learned how to use movement and voice to perform. During our first session, students played various drama games where props were used in unique ways. We had a broken hanger used as a bow and arrow, a toy banana used as a paint brush, and we even had a dog bone used as a cell phone! It was great to see such creativity and the students had a blast. We ended out first session with mini skits where students had a chance to perform a short play in front of their classmates. I was so proud to see all of the students stepping out of their comfort zones and trying something new.
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Today we celebrated the holiday season with the annual Dogwood Turkey Luncheon. Our amazing parent volunteers arrived bright and early to help peel, chop, boil and mash to create delicious side dishes to go with our turkeys. Each participating teacher roasted a 20 pound turkey for the big event.
There was a mountain of food and it was a great feast! We enjoyed our meal as a class and it was good to see everyone enjoying their food. Many students even went back for seconds! A very sincere thank you to Mrs. So (Jayden's mom) for being our class volunteer. Thank you to all the other parents who also gave up their morning to prepare food for us. Finally, a very big thank you to Mr. Chin for organizing this incredible annual event. You may have heard your child talking about starting our days with a morning coffee. Rest assured we are not caffeinating your children! It's a time for students to choose a quiet activity to start their day. It helps them warm up, and wake up for school in a way they feel works for them. A few years back, a student had said that the soft start reminded him of his dad who needed his coffee in the morning before he started his day. I think many of us can relate to this, and the name 'Morning Coffee' just stuck.
Morning Coffee isn't just a warm up activity. It's a way for us to connect with your children, and for them to connect with each other. It's the perfect time to ask students, "what's new in your life?" or "how was your hockey game over the weekend?" It is these connections that help nurture a positive classroom community and help us get to know each other better. It also let's us know how we can better support students who might be struggling academically or emotionally. Every child is different, so you can imagine the various activities the students choose for their morning coffee. Some choose to socialize with a friend over a game of chess, others want to get in some physical activity and throw a frisbee around outside, some other students love to create and choose to do a craft; and believe it or not, there are some students who choose to review math concepts or catch up on school work. Whatever they choose, morning coffee is something we all look forward to, and a great way to start our days together! As part of our learning around Applied Design Skills and Technology (ADST), the students of division 5 were given a S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) challenge. The challenge was to work as a group and to build the tallest, free standing structure using the time and materials given. Students were given 30 minutes, a bag of mini marshmallows and toothpicks to create their structures. The groups started with a brainstorm and design where they came up with a plan. Some great questions and discussions resulted from the brainstorm. Once groups had their plans, they set off to build. Many groups quickly realized that their initial idea was not going to work and had to make changes to their plans. Key words such as structure, support, base and teamwork came out of the rich discussions the groups were having as they problem solved to redesign their plan. After 30 minutes, Ms. Rai went around to measure each of the structures. Below are some pictures from the activity. I have also attached a Ted Talk that you might find interesting behind the Marshmallow Challenge. Enjoy! In October, we had a cardboard arcade challenge. Everyone made a game out of recyclable materials. First, we had to sketch our game. After that, we built our prototypes that we sketched! After a week, we had to have the game ready to test out. Our classmates tested the games to give us feedback on how to improve our game. On October 16th, we invited several classes to play our games which was as cool as having friends come over to your house. There were many games to play but not every class got to play each game. THAT WAS OUR CARDBOARD ARCADE CHALLENGE!!!! By: Tara and Fatimah Written by Jiaqi
Tree planting was amazing! Mrs.I and Mrs.D's class went with Mrs.Harrison's class to plant trees at Fraser Heights park. We planted Salmon Berry, Thimble Berry, and Thistle Berry. There were multiple steps needed to plant a tree. First we dug a hole that fit the bottom of the plant (that took a long time).Then we gave the pot "CPR" (We pushed on the pot to loosen the dirt to help the plant out). After that we gave the plant a "spa/massage". (loosing up the roots) At last we tucked the plant in bed. After the planting we played a game. When we finished the game everyone took a group photo together, and at the very end we got to take a type of maple tree home. Help growing the urban forest was really fun! Written by, Sara
On Friday the 13th a presenter from the City of Surrey, Kathy, came and talked to us about waste. She talked to us about the 'life cycle' of jeans. She talked about how they are made, and how they affect our environment. She also taught us what to put in the green bin, blue bin, and black bin. She told us about what not to put in those bins. For example, we should not put glass in the recycling because it messes up the recycling machines. At the end of the session we played a mini game of bingo. Not everybody won but it was still a fun game! Building friendships and getting to know one another is an essential part of creating a strong classroom community. The students of div. 5 have been playing many cooperative games during PE and during our daily physical activity times. They also had a chance to complete an Escape Room activity. Students were divided into small groups and were challenged to complete puzzles and tasks as a group to unlock a secret code. Everyone worked so well together, and really discovered that two heads are indeed better than one!
Last week students of division 5 and 6 visited the Boze Family Farm Corn Maze. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and students answered trivia questions which, if answered correctly, helped them maneuver through the maze to find their way out. It was a challenging maze, but we are proud of our students' "can do" attitude, and we are happy to report no one got lost! (haha) Thank you to our amazing parent volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules to help drive and supervise. It's been a fun school year start up and we are looking froward to many more great things to come. Stay tuned! We are excited to introduce a new face to our classroom. Ms. Rai is a student teacher from SFU who will be completing her long practicum with us. We have attached an introduction letter below from Ms. Rai.
Dear Parents/Guardians, As the new school year gets underway I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is Jaylene Rai and I will be completing my student teaching assignment in your child’s classroom from October 2nd to November 24th . I am currently in the Professional Linking Program at Simon Fraser University. Student teaching is the final step I will take before receiving my teaching credentials. As a student teacher, I will spend time observing the class structure, routine, and lessons that Mrs. Iwagami and Mrs. Deamer teach. I have also constructed various unit plans for all subjects and with the mentorship of Mrs. Iwagami and Mrs. Deamer I will gradually take on all responsibilities of the classroom teacher. Prior to working in your child’s classroom, I have been a student teacher in a kindergarten class at Dogwood Elementary and look forward to working with grade 5 students this year! Teaching and working with children is a joy to me, and I am so pleased to finally be able to work in a classroom full-time! Prior to being in the teaching program at Simon Fraser University, I obtained my General Studies Degree at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. I have also been an Education Assistant for the New Westminster School district for the past 10 years. Part of my goal as an educator is to spark curiosity in the minds of students. During my time in your child’s class, I hope to excite your child about the world of learning and broaden his or her academic interests. I would like to thank you for providing me with the opportunity to work with your child. I look forward to learning from my mentor teacher and from your child. Sincerely, Jaylene Rai We hope you all had a memorable and enjoyable summer. We are very excited to part of the Dogwood community for another year and look forward to a fun year with our students. We want to thank you for being extra patient during our first week back. Class organization is a difficult task as we have many things to consider when placing students in a classroom.
JOBSHARE This year Mrs. Iwagami and Mrs. Deamer will be your child’s teachers. We have job shared for the past 8 years and feel that we have a strong relationship both in and out of the classroom. We communicate on a daily basis and reassure you that your child will have a positive and consistent school year. Mrs. Iwagami will teach Mon-Wed and Mrs. Deamer Thurs/Fri. We do our very best to communication, plan and collaborate throughout the school year, and really work as a team to support your child. If you have any question and or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact either one of us. WELCOME PARENTS Much information will be sent home electronically this year. Please take a minute to fill out the “EMAIL ADDRESS” form, and return it to us as soon as possible. We will send you an email to confirm that we have received your correct information. We are looking forward to a fun and exciting school year. We have an open door policy, so please pop by to say hello or send us an email if you have any questions. We encourage you to get involved in your child’s learning this year. Encourage your child to take risks. Encourage them to be curious and to find their passion. Encourage them to be awesome! |