Happy RAK Day!

Happy RAK day everyone!

Today marks the launch of our campaign. We have created the buzz with our performance art piece and our beautiful posters (now posted all over the school).

Our RAK cards are printed and ready to be passed around. Before I could hand out a card to each student, I first had to perform a RAK to be passed along with the card. A few weeks ago, we were discussing writing with strong voice. I was explaining that I could list all of my favourite foods with great descriptors or I could really "explode the moment" of eating one of my favourite foods. By describing the moment that I eat one of them, I can write with a stronger voice. I preceded to describe how I eat a strawberry jelly donut from the Richmond Bakery. You know, the ones covered in granulated sugar, not powder. The ones where you need to plan each bite so you maximize the amount of jelly oozing into your mouth. I talked about how the granulated sugar gets stuck all around your mouth. I told them how if you plan it just right, and get there when the donuts are still warm, you will get a slight crispy layer underneath the sugar and then a warm and doughy layer underneath. I seriously had one student in tears! As a RAK, I felt like I just had to order them each one of these delicacies. I had to have my fun too though. I made them sit there and watch and listen as I ate one and described it while the smell of fresh donuts wafted around them.

Too fun!

Thank you to all of the families that were able to come to the Student Led Conferences yesterday. I know it was not convenient but the students really did appreciate it. If you were unable to come in, students have been instructed to bring their portfolios home and do their conference this weekend.

If you scroll down, you will see three older posts that were not there before. These posts feature "The Three Musicians" by Picasso. You will also see comments written by the students. We have created a piece in the cubism style that features shading as well. All of this was preceded by a discussion on Picasso's piece called "Guernica".

I hope everyone has a RAK-ful weekend!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

This was us practicing

Well, I guess we can't hold onto our secret any longer.

The students have been hard at work on a secret media project that is going to change our whole school. Get ready for RAK.

We decided to start a movement of Random Acts of Kindness. We really wanted to be effective though, so we looked up some advice on how to create an effective media campaign. We learned that you want to start by creating a buzz. So, today, towards the end of first recess, all of the students silently and suddenly walked to the lower yard and began to lie down. It soon became clear they had a plan in mind and we started to get the attention of the other students. They lay down to spell the letters R A K. The rest of the school gathered around asking a lot of questions but our kids just lay there silently. It was very effective. The whole school is buzzing.

Next up, we are going to blitz them with our posters. Liam and Calvin helped to create our logo. Next up, our poster team of Luca, Daphne, Olivia, Desanka, and Marian, created a linoleum print and are now busy printing up posters. I am going to print some business cards this weekend that students will pass on when they perform a RAK, encouraging the recipient to pass it on as well.

We also have a pamphlet group creating an information piece for the adults of our community. When this informative piece of work is complete, it will be posted to our blog.

Our blog was also created by a group of students. You can find it here. We will be updating it with examples of RAKs that we're seeing.

We also have a podcasting group that hopes to interview students about the process. This group is looking for a little technical assistance if anyone out there has any podcasting experience.

The video group has written a script for an informative and entertaining video that will educate the school at our sharing next Friday.

Our last group has written several jingles that will appear in the video and will probably make an appearance on a podcast or two.

The students are really excited for this media campaign. We hope you can help us to pass it on.

We are doing lots of other learning as well. Students are preparing for Student Led Conferencing which will take place on Thursday. Please send me an email and let me know if you will be coming in. You may come at any point during the school day. Students will be engaged in a lot of independent learning on this day and it will be easy for you to step out and conference in the hall and to come in and take a tour. We think it will be a good chance for you to see us hard at work.

This week, students were focusing on inferencing as a reading strategy. It is going to help the students improve their reading comprehension. We also continued our reading program. As this week and next will be short weeks, I have asked the students to hand in only one letter instead of two.

In math, we are taking a look at decimals. I am using a great resource by Marilyn Burns and I'm finding that it is helping to solidify a good concept of the basics. Next week, I hope to progress further and start looking at comparing decimals.

I hope you enjoy a wonderful family weekend. Hopefully some RAKs will be in your future.

Interpretation

What do you think is the theme or subject of the work? (INFER)

Think of these prompts when answering:

What are you thinking or feeling when you look at the work?

Why do you think the visual artist created this work?

What message or meaning do you think the work conveys?

Description

What do you see when you examine the work closely?

Think of these prompts when answering:

What grabs your attention in the work?

What do you sense (e.g., see, hear, smell, feel, taste) when you examine the work?

What stands out for you? What do you notice (e.g. elements)?

What “qualities” do you see in this work (e.g., vibrant paint colours; bold brushstrokes or lines)?

What do you think the artist worked particularly hard at while he or she created this work?

First Impressions

What is your first impression?

Think of these prompts when answering:

What does this work remind you of?

What do you feel? What emotions does this work evoke?

What puzzles you? What are your questions?

What connections can you make between this work and your own experience or other art forms?

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I hope you have a lovely day full of love.

First of all, I want to send out a big thank you to all of the volunteers that helped us out last week. From the Winter Walk Day to the Canal, we had a great time embracing winter and it would not have happened without you. Our day on the Canal was pretty close to perfect. The conditions and weather were lovely, and the students were well behaved and had a lot of fun.

Please remember that there is a PD day on Friday and that Monday is Family Day.

Although the next two weeks are short, I will still be giving out homework starting with a new math question. We have started our look at decimals today. This is this week's math homework question:

Find as many ways as you can to represent each of these numbers as fractions and as decimal numerals.

six-hundredths

nine-tenths

fifteen-hundredths

thirty-five-hundredths

four-tenths

fifty-hundredths

I am actually not going to assign this question until tomorrow's math class, BUT, I will give them some time in class to work on it tomorrow. This homework will be due on or before Thursday.

In Literacy, we are going to be taking a closer look at inferencing, or reading between the lines, as we read to help us better understand what we are reading. We are also looking at a couple of picture books about Rosa Parks. These books take different perspectives on Rosa Parks' brave stand.

The class and I are also working on a very special big project. I cannot tell you much about this project as we are trying to generate some buzz first and we felt the best way to do this was to be secretive. All we can say right now is that it's going to be big, fun, and create change. Stay tuned. The RAKs are coming.

We will be having student led conferences coming up on February 24th. There is no PD day given for this event. Instead, we will be having them during the day. You can come at any point during the school day between 8:00 and 2:45. Your student will take you on a tour of what they have been learning and how they feel they have been doing. As this will be a regular school day, I will be teaching and working with the other students while you are on your "tour". While you may come at any time, I would love to know an approximate time so that we can better prepare for your visit. If you cannot make it, your student can bring home some of the work that they reflected on.

Have a LOVEly day!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Long time no blog. Sorry.

Last week we celebrated Chinese New Years with my mom. She told them about the story of how Chinese New Years came to be, taught them some tai chi, and a little about Chinese characters. She gave them all a red envelope after they all congratulated her and said thank you in Chinese.

We are wrapping up fractions for real this time. Decimals will be starting very soon. The rumours are true, there is no math homework this week.

We continue to write letters. I am finding that the letters are giving me amazing feedback on each of the students. This week, they have been asked to bring home their notebooks to share with you. In Literacy, we will also be looking at some media literacy while designing a Random Acts of Kindness campaign.

We have done a lot of work in science so far. The grade 6s just completed another ComicLife project where they created comics to explore the different perspectives associated with flight. I will post the finished products here soon.

Our canal date is on Friday. Students and volunteers need winter sport helmets and appropriate clothing. Please remember that no one will be allowed to spend money on this trip.

Tomorrow is our Winter Walk to School Day. I hope that many of you are planning on walking or parking further away and walking part of the way. Thank you to the organizers of this event.