This week we dove into language centers with all students focusing on very similar activities: silent reading, making rhymes from our body words, choosing new words to learn from our body magic list that stretch us, and cursive writing. Seedlings were introduced to the typewriters to practice their spelling words this week and they are very excited. We also explored our calendar and what is coming up. 5 weeks until March Break, which is followed by 4 more Business Immersion weeks, which is capped off with Share the Magic Day!
Our math centers were lacking this week as student focus was in language. Our lateral thinking puzzles and community circles took up additional time as well. On Wednesday we carved out more space for math learning so students could continue practicing their new skills in long division and multiplication.
Ethan's Mom Pamela loaned us a book about evolution, which we read as a class and connected many pieces we have been wondering and learning about in Animal Magic, Body Magic, Plant Magic and Science Magic!! Thank you for sharing Pamela! We will touch back to the information in this book many times throughout the year.
Our afternoon magic centers began with some Zen Magic learning, sharing and practicing different breaths and noticing how the types of breathing shifted our bodies and feelings. We will continue to incorporate this into our afternoon learning.
Corbin gifted us our second student created lesson on Monday that included a scavenger hunt for the hidden Chameleons around our learning space. Each clue had a fact that students shared and utilized to answer questions and draw their own version of a Chameleon. Lots of smiling happy students had fun with this one.
Students made space to explore their respiration body magic package while we connected the different parts of the system to their function on our model and in our bodies with landmarking. We engaged in a big drum circle Tuesday afternoon as well, where students were introduced to a variety of activities and then chose their favourite activity: Bully Circle. This occurs when one student chooses to be in the centre of the circle and beat their own rhythm, while everyone on the outside of the circle is beating very different rhythms and making sounds in an attempt to "throw them off". We do this for up to 1 minute for each student. This exercise gives students the opportunity to see if they can hold their own rhythm among all the distractions. We debrief after each opportunity and discuss how it felt in the circle. Our volunteers for the middle were brave and did fantastic jobs keeping their rhythm. We sang a community song (Grandmother Spirits by popular demand) and ended with nice big sounds.
On Wednesday we brought math into our day with multiplication music, simple multiplication and long division based on where students identified they wanted to stretch their learning. We also played subitizing games which also served as assessment to identify where students are at with which number concepts they have internalized to date. Dice games shall ensue next week to continue building on this core concept for those students who require more support.
Wednesday afternoon we brought out the rest of our January plant studies for students to choose from that were in alignment with personal goals for open badge work. Everyone got busy and worked diligently through our afternoon.
Create your best weekend everyone!
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