Some symmetry and radial patterns grew at this centre during tabletop play this morning. ML: It’s a beetle. Here’s the head (pointing) and here’s the tail (other end). HC: I made a flower (first pic). Look, I added more to my pattern.

Stories told yesterday at the play dough table. L: I was making a pancake. H: I was rolling & then I used the house stamp. S: I made a moon. 1st I made a circle, and then I made another circle, but it made the moon.

Today, the last group of students worked on making poppies with the leaf-printing technique we learned last week. Here LS shows the second step: roll the leaf and lift to reveal the print. Beautiful!

What a snowy start to the week! We had lots of fun out on the playground this morning. The slides were faster, the leaves were frozen, and snow was good for snow angels and castles. And when we came in, wet from the snow? The heater was on nice and warm to dry our mittens.

Families, we have so much to share that it’s hard to believe it was only 2 weeks. Please visit the digital classroom space to see the latest “Ask Me About” collection. Students really enjoyed these today, asking us to go back, zoom in, talking about what they enjoyed. We hope you hear all about it!

We went out around the schoolyard this morning before the rain came. AJ and CS gathered a bunch of leaves, when A called me over. He said, “It’s Canada, see?” And C held up one of his maple leaves to compare. Yes, 🍁 like 🇨🇦. The leaves lead to so many observations. #TreeInquiry

Another day of students collecting leaves, so another day of experimenting with paint. Yesterday’s leaf prints were fun but they turned out muddy & splotchy. We decided to try again. Today, we used sponges instead of brushes and added a roller to smooth the leaves out. It was an interesting process.

Painting explorations continues in K2. As trees give us free materials, we keep trying new things. We have tried painting on leaves and pressing them. We have tried painting over leaves and leaving a cool shape. We painted on crayon resist prints. What else to do? We'll see what tomorrow brings!

CS found an interesting creature while we were out riding bikes, & protected it. It was bigger than any beetle we’ve seen around here. CP thought it might be a cricket until he looked closely. HC wondered if it could be an “oil bug” but we weren’t sure. Has anyone else seen this big insect before?

Interest in gifts from tree continues, as more students learn to use the forked guides and leaf posters to identify leaves from around the yard. We heard many excited voices as friends found matches. “I got this one!” “Is it an oak?” “Look, I found one like yours.” #ReadTheWorld #TreeInquiry

Day 3 of our pumpkin cooking experiences - here’s what we used. Day one was roasting spicy and salty seeds. Day two was a tray of sweet and a tray of spicy pumpkin. Today, we baked cakes - one plain, one with pumpkin seeds. Once again, a delicious smell in K2.

Happy Hallowe’en, family and friends! Today was day 2 of our pumpkin cooking experiences. Yesterday’s seeds were a big hit, but we wondered if today’s (1 sweet, 1 salty) roasted pumpkin would be as popular. Yes! Both flavours were gone in minutes. We ran out before anyone could ask for thirds.

It’s an exciting day in K2. We voted for a face to carve on our large pumpkin, and then got to work opening, scooping and cleaning all of our pumpkins. Words we heard while cleaning them up: goopy, sticky, slimy, messy, stringy, yucky, fun. Seeds were saved, and cleaned for part 2: cooking.

We were visiting the baby tree to water it, when ML asked if she could have a turn, since “I wasn’t here when you planted it.” Friends showed her how tall it was, and how we added ribbons so everyone could see the little tree in the grass.

A great way to work those hand and arm muscles, to make our room smell great, and to explore changes in materials - LI has inspired friends by peeling oranges every day for snack. More friends brought oranges and saved the peels, too. So here’s one way to use those dry peels - aromatherapy 😄

A beautiful moment all started by one student and his idea. SJ built a seat and a screen, his Movie Theatre to watch “Dogman” Friends were curious, then built their own seats and soon there was a little crowd watching Spiderman together.

During our afternoon outdoor outdoor play time, we had our first “Coyote Alert” whistle. Everyone stopped, got off bikes, & came in the fenced area quickly. Well done, K2 - we know how to keep ourselves safe! *This video was taken once we were safe inside. The coyote was further when we did our 🛑👀👂.

Thank you to families who sent in leaves from home yesterday! They were added to our collection for our “beautiful fall” leaf stitching art. When we gather, sort, select, arrange, stitch & display our favourite leaves, we learn to notice the many similarities & differences among them. #TreeInquiry

Families, we’ve been gathering fresh leaves all around the school for our leaf projects. Some students said they wanted to bring some from special trees at home. Please do! If you like, send your child with a handful of fresh (not crunchy) 🍁 🍂on Monday. We will observe, compare & enjoy! #TreeInquiry

MS made a story on the whiteboard. “It’s people walking. My family. And those are hearts. I love my family.”

Families, did you here about our big day? We planted our baby oak tree today. We had help from our grade two friends in Ms. Ramos’s 2B class, and we all had a turn to add some soil and even a few worms to the hole where our tree will grow. It was a great way to end our day!

Happy Diwali to all those families celebrating today. You were missed but we can’t wait to hear about your special day. May your day and night be very bright.

LL and NS share a ramp: a story in three parts. LL waited a long while for the ramp blocks and ball, which friends had been using. He set up a ramp, and NS came to try it. L let him take turns with him, and together they added a trap to catch the ball before it rolled away. Success! Teamwork 😊

LS started a game and friends joined in. They used the letter shapes and our big alphabet carpet to make a letter train, and then match them up with their partner on the pattern of stones.

Making leaf impressions caught on yesterday, so we decided to make a class book to share some of the interesting shapes and textures we saw. PS used both hands to create a colourful 3D effect with his leaf. “I’m making a rainbow leaf because I like colourful things. It’s like a rainbow popsicle.”

While our big insect inquiry has wound down as we move on to other topics & materials of interest to the class, there are always a few students exploring outside, sharing their discoveries. Three friends moved a stump to great excitement - pillbugs, milipedes, worms, & more! Then a grasshopper, too.

Exploring leaf magic with fresh and pressed leaves. The secret? Have to peel your crayons for the best tool to cover those leafy details.

ZH & ER used our leaf guides to match some of the colourful leaves we found on the schoolyard today. Z matched the sugar maple leaf in his hand. #TreeInquiry

This morning, several students shared that they had gone apple picking at a farm over the weekend. Two remembered that they had gone to Chudleigh’s Farm, and others told us about tractor rides and pumpkins. So naturally, our story for our “read around tree” time was The Fall Fair.

Leaves were a big focus of interest again today after our quick trip to the playground. We looked at our collection from yesterday’s walk too, and added some leaf identification charts to help students figure out where they came from. We use field guides to read the world! #TreeInquiry

Fishing, at school? Yes! FI found a stick and started a new game. A group of friends soon formed, finding their own fishing rods and fishing at the pond. Then it got too busy, so a new game opened up at another puddle - hockey sticks, skates? Go! Creativity in nature leads to rich play.

We had a wonderful walk around the school this morning. We didn’t know it would turn into a colourful leaf-collecting adventure, or that we’d bring home a class pet (to observe and release, soon): a snail! Thanks to CP for spotting the snail before we stepped on it. #OutdoorLearning

Changes to the season brought changes to our yard today. All those leaves brought out teamwork and planning - can we make big piles? Can we rake them all up before more fall?

Students have been inspired by this week’s poem. Some are creating their own versions of the poem, like TN’s “Green, green…” while others are expressed them in colourful paintings. We think it might turn into our first class book of the year.

We read a story called “We Can Make Music” about exploring improvised instruments. And then… we did! What a happy sound.

Stories were told around the little table while students shared these materials. They created gardens, had butterflies fly in to drink at the flowers, and shared to make sure each friend had some of each colour. We heard counting, sorting, sharing. This is what play & learn time can look like, in K.

Kindergarten is a place of learning about ourselves, and how to be members of a learning community. Orange Shirt Day today meant we read & talked about what it means to be safe at school, including safe to be ourselves and to be proud of our languages, families & cultures.

Racing around the baseball diamond - ready, set, zoom!

Today in outdoor adventures with our nature neighbours - TB rescues a cricket from feet and wheels.

Families, Today’s Friday, & it’s been 2 weeks since our last “Ask Me About” slides. We have lots to share with you! Check the digital classroom space for this week’s questions & selected photos to give you a glimpse into our learning. We already shared them in class so Ss could share the highlights.

More buggy adventures today - while a small group of us were reading “Bug Safari” inside, the other friends outside found a grasshopper to share with us. Once both groups had a turn to hear the story and visit the grasshopper, we looked around outside & saw so much more happening all around us.

At the writing table yesterday - shared writing about insects and other mini beasts. Here's LS with his happy spider!

JC brought a book to share with K2 today. Students were excited to see a new Pigeon book - thank you, J, for helping to read it!

Bugs, bugs, arthropods and bugs! While some students were working inside with Ms. P, writing their insect stories to accompany their buggy creations ( bulletin board coming soon…), a group were exploring the edge of the garden for nature neighbours - look what they found! #OutdoorLearning

A measuring question that came up yesterday in play: How many pegs tall is my tower? How many do I need to be taller than me? CP was excited to share.

Our activity today involves using our senses and our muscles. It will smell so good in K2 today! Hint: we’re doing a magic trick with the colours of nature. 🪄🌈🎨

Our poem of the week is a song, instead. Students preferred to read it with no teachers helping, only the pointer. And they did great!

Firebugs were a big interest this morning during outdoor play. Students also found plant hoppers, ants, and earwig, and more, bringing them to show their teachers and friends. It’s all inspiration for our stories and crafts back inside. We love minibeasts! #OutdooorLearning

The nature table was a busy place today. It may be summer on the calendar and in the air, but the trees are showing so many signs of autumn. Here, students pry open buckeyes (from beside the portables) and Kentucky Coffeetree pods. SJ: “I like the seeds. I like the brown ones, too.” #TreeInquiry

Sunflowers in the art studio today - some colour mixing science along with our observational drawings. Beautiful! 🌻🌻🌻