All Hands In

As part of the new school year routines, we created our Essential Agreements, or in other words, classroom rules. I have to say that this group is really expert in doing this... yea previous PYP teachers! Our 5 classroom rules are: Follow the Golden Rule, Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Have Fun! I really love the first and last ones and it is amazing that the kids came up with these themselves.

After we had our rules, we created outlines of our hands and designed them to represent us. The instruction was to use drawings, patterns and images so that other people could infer information about you. It was a really fun lesson and it made a beautiful bulletin board.
 

Team Building Cups Activity

Friday we spent some time outside with a team building activity that I found here at the Science Gal blog. To my surprise the kids figured out the trick rather quick but then used their time to perfect their teamwork and fine motor skills to get the cups moving.

I have never seen a group work so well and cooperate so nicely in all my years teaching. The students were encouraging each other with positive words and were very patient with tumbles.

After all of the groups were successful, I had them create their own challenges to try and they were all creative and took risks with their challenges. Some of the groups attempted cup manipulation beyond what was possible for the windy day, but with positivity and perseverance even those groups succeeded. Not with the cup stacking, but with the team building.

Gratitude Projects 2014

The end of the year is a time to look back and think about what we are grateful for. In 5R we have discussed a lot about gratitude and showing appreciation not only for people and deeds, but also for the life we have around us.

The last week of school, the students had an open ended homework assignment to create a project showing their gratitude on a variety of topics, such as, "something you are grateful for that smells nice" or "something you are grateful for that has a vibrant color." The student projects were really thoughtful and well done. They also had to share their projects to work on their public speaking goals. We spent a lovely morning listening to the students as they spoke about their gratitude.

All in all, it was a wonderful project and just perfect for the last day of school before a long winter holiday. I think I will make it a holiday tradition!

Please enjoy looking at some of the projects and photos presented to the class this morning.

Viktor's Prezi

 

Learner Profile and Attitudes of the Month: Curious and Inquirer

The definition of inquirer is to look for or gain information by asking questions. 

The definition of curious is someone who is eager to learn or know.

Picture Credit: http://goo.gl/PozR4C

This month at ISL we are focusing on recognizing PYP students who are curious and inquirers.

I would like to share a wonderful website with you that fosters these ideas. It is called Wonderopolis and it is truly a great resource. It takes many questions that people have about the world and answers them with text and video. The website is a great way to foster students who are inquirers and curious.