Ordinals

I started writing this post around Christmas time or shortly after, but for some reason it wasn't published, so here goes...

As usual, a month or so before Christmas, we bring out our boxes of Christmas library books.  It's always fun to watch the students find their favourites, then delve into others.  I typically also pick through and search for some of my personal favourites to read to my class.  This year it occurred to me that we have several versions of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and that I could use them in my math class.  Yes! I decided to use those books to introduce ordinal counting.

 

After reading  the books and discussing that math concept, we did several activities including
1) counting the ordinals orally: first, second, third...
2) having the students line up and asking students them where they stand in the line -up.
3) sequencing ordinal cards from first to twelfth
4) play concentration and/or go fish with ordinal cards
5) following directions sheets pertaining to ordinals,..

 

Christmas Supper

Several years ago, the teachers here at Brennan School started a new Christmas tradition.  During the last week of school before Christmas break, we gather with all our students in the Essenschuel (children's dining room) for supper.  Usually our Essenschuelankela, (children's dining room supervisor), Barb arranges with the cooks to have one of the children's favourite meals prepared that day.  Typically that means pizza.  Barb also prepares a delicious dessert for all of us.
My sister Linda and I usually arrange the seating. Or should I say rearrange?  We like to mix things up from the normal boys' table, girls' table standard.  For this supper each table has a mixture of boys and girls of all ages as well as a teacher or two.
This year, rather than making tame tags, I created name pictures, using an idea I found here on Pinterest, with a few variations, of course.  I had our girls wear angel halos and our boys, wise men crowns.  This made for a host of angels and royal guests at our supper table! 

 

 

Candy Cane Wishes

After our meal we usually have some kind of game, activity or presentation and end with "Candy Cane Wishes".  This particular tradition began several years ago when our school trustee, Mr. Murray McLenahan brought several boxes of candy canes to our annual Christmas concert.  rather than merely handing out the candy canes, we place them on a table in the centre of the room and students and teachers take turns coming to the table, taking one and presenting it to someone else with some kind of Christmas wish, compliment or thank you.  In the end everyone has received a candy cane coupled with a wonderful Christmas greeting, which in some cases is remembered for years to come.
One of my favourite ones came came from Josh, (a former Brennan School student) when he was around fifth grade.  That year he was determined to be a wise man at our annual nativity play.   I had planned for our students to present a play where the angels took centre stage.  However, I had to change those plans when I realized that Josh really had his heart set on being a wise man and found a play that had a wise man role that Josh could handle.  At our supper that year, I realized just how much that part meant to him.  He strode up to the candy cane table, plucked one out of the container and marched up to me. "I am giving my candy can to the teacher who let me be a wise man!" he announced seriously.  I still get choked up whenever I think about that heartfelt presentation!  

I took the pictures in this post with my Blackberry and when I viewed them on the computer, they appeared right side up.  Once I exported them into my blog, they turn side ways and I cannot change them! Can anyone help me with this issue please?

What Christmas tradition have you started with your students, family or friends?

Christmas Gifts

Christmas gifts come in various ways, shapes andforms.  They can be wrapped in pretty paper, tied with shiny ribbon or trimmed with festive bows.  Not all presents need to packaged and presented in the traditional way though.  This year the staff members here at Brennan School took a different approach to presenting gifts to our students. 

On the first Saturday of December we all boarded our bus clutching non-perishable food items, which our families generously provided, and headed for Portage.   

Fort la Reine Museum

Our first stop was Fort la Reine Museum where the curator, Tracey Turner works hard to organize special events for people to enjoy at the museum throughout year, not merely during the regular summer hours.

For this particular Saturday, “A Dickens Christmas” was on the agenda.  Volunteers were on hand in period costumes to entertain museum guests with music, drama and of course a bit of history.  The main building was festively decorated and just after we arrived the first presentation began: a duo entertained us with Christmas music.  This was followed by wonderful piece of drama – an excerpt from Dicken’s A Christmas Carol.  I was impressed with how effortlessly the actors switched roles by simply donning a hat, vest or other costume.  I especially enjoyed this production as I knew several of the performers: retired teacher Fran Myles, current teacher at Airport colony and I believe school trustee, Preston Meier.

As a finale to the entertainment a couple of ladies played several songs on plate bells.  They started with seemingly simple tunes and progressed to more complicated ones such as “Joyful, Joyful we Adore Thee.”  For that particular number, the bells moved so swiftly from the performers’ hands to the table and back again, as they played different notes, there were a few instances when the bells almost flew of the table!

After the performance, we divided into smaller groups to visit other parts of the museum.  My group visited the general store first.  There people could purchase various types of sweets.  As well, a local artist had a craft table set up where she taught us how to paint snowman on tree cookies.  These could be used as gift tags, decoration or pendant.

Attendees also had the opportunity to take their picture with Father Christmas and see and/or pet animals – llamas, bunnies, donkeys and more.  Hot chocolate was provided for all who desired it and most of us did!

To end our visit at the museum, we all piled onto a horse drawn wagon and enjoyed a ride around the fort while joyfully singing Christmas carols. 

 

 

Library

Since we had time between our museum visit and our next event, we made a stop at our local library.  We all enjoyed cozying up with some good books as we warmed up from our wagon ride.

CP Holiday Train

Each year the CP Holiday train makes its way across our frozen land and this year it passed through Portage on the day we were there!  Typically, wherever they stop, that community has an opportunity to do some sort of fundraiser.  Here in Portage, people were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for Salvation Army’s annual Christmas hamper drive. 

The train was to arrive in Portage around 4:00, so we bundled up and made our way to the BDO Centre.  Our students excitedly grabbed their packages and headed to the Salvation Army truck to make their donations.  As to be expected, the train was late, so it got rather chilly waiting out near the tracks.  We ended up going back to the bus until we heard that welcome train whistle echoing through the frigid air.  Once again we braved the cold to see that festive sight! Train cars upon train cars were lit up in colourful lights displaying Christmassy pictures, shapes and greetings.  A concert was also offered; however, we didn’t stay for that as we felt it was not really geared for children.

Indeed, as the Brennan School students can vouch, Christmas gifts can be presented non-traditionally - in the form of an exciting December field trip!

Christmas Projects

Christmas Plaques

As usual the students and teachers at our school created Christmas gifts for all the families on our colony.  This year's idea came from the Facebook page of my friend, Candice Cancade.  Hers is much more elaborate than our simplified version.
For the backboard, we used 1" x 4" board which were planed down and cut into the required lengths.  Joy - 16", Love & Noel - 20" and Peace - 24".   The letters were cut on our C & C router by my brother James.  The older students and their  teacher, Robert did most of the work: painting the letters and edges of the boards and gluing the letters in place.  Linda took on the decorating duties.

Baby Jesus Craft 

I found the idea for this project at  Baby Jesus Craft.  I wasn't able find the specified baby socks, so I ended up sewing stretchy fabric into 6 inch long cylinders so they're about the size of baby socks.  On the sides of the paper bag we glued labels reading "The best gift is Jesus" and "Es besta Tschenk is es Jesulein."  
We  kept them at school for several days and whenever the kids had spare time, they enjoyed pulling them out and playing with them.  

Nativity Silhouettes

Painting can be messy, but oh, sooo fun!  In this project, students were introduced to value.  I followed Sandra's Savvy Teaching Tips to create the backgrounds.   That Artist Woman uses a similar procedure, so, I've added both links. 
For the silhouettes, I simply googled "nativity silhouettes" to find the images pictured below.  Ideally, the images are to be traced on black construction paper and then cut out; however, since I did this with younger students, I chose to simplify it by merely having them cut out the printed images.
As you can see, we used two different tones of blue for our projects.  I'm not sure which I like best, the warm or cool blue.  What do you say?

Stained Glass Angels for Sand Bags

In the spring of 2011 our young people spent quite a bit of time volunteering their time to help with flood relief.  Often they would just pile into a vehicle and cruise around our neighbourhood to see who needed help and pitch in.  One day some of our Diene drove around with Joe, our field boss,  They happened upon a small farm just five miles west of us.  You would think since Elm River has been in existence for almost 80 years we would know everyone in our area.  Well... perhaps we do know most of our neighbours, but sometimes we just don't know where they live.  That was the case in this incident.  When the girls and Joe walked up to the farm owners and asked if they needed assistance,  "Yes!  How did you know I need help?"  the lady exclaimed.  They proceeded to tell her that they didn't know, they were merely offering their services to anyone in the area.  Sonia, my sister, felt the lady looked familiar and the way she spoke also  gave her the impression that she knew our people.  As they piled sand bags alongside her, Sonia discovered that the "lady" was former Brennan School art teacher, Leta Owens.


Since that spring day two years ago I've spoken with Leta several times and at each visit she mentioned that she'd like to do something for our community to show her appreciation.  I kept assuring her that payment wasn't necessary, that our people were just pleased to help out.  Leta was not to be dissuaded.  During our last visit, Leta offered to do a workshop with our student, to teach them how to make stained glass angels.  Not only did she volunteer her time, but also all of the materials, equipment and supplies needed for the project! 

This past Wednesday she spent the day here at Brennan School.  All of our kindergarten to grade seven students had a session with her.  Some of the older students learned how to solder, others wrapped lead around individual pieces of glass, still others manned the grinder, to smoothed away rough edges.  Our youngest students pitched in by lovingly washing and polishing each angels as it was completed.  Together we created almost three dozen angels!

The following day my grades 1 & 3 class slipped each stained glass angel into a zip-lock bag together with an angel gift tag and suction cup for hanging it in a special window. As we packed the angels, my students discussed the colours of the angels, admiring them as they held they held them up to the light.
This then lead into a math class.  We sorted the angels according to their colours and graphed the results.

The data told us that:

• Red was the most popular angel colour.
• Light green was the least popular colour.
• We have 2 each of light blue, dark purple, orange, dark green and purple angels.
• We have fewer light blue angels than pink ones.
• We have more dark blue angels than clear ones.
• All the angels are beautiful!

On the last day of school we will bundle up and hand deliver an angel to each family on our colony.  A Christmas gift not only from the students and staff at Brennan School, but from our stained glass angel instructor, Leta Owens.

Transforming sand into glass is a long, intricate process that takes time, skill and technology.  Who knew that in the span of two years sand bags could turn into stained glass angels!

Nativity Scenes

My grades 1 & 3 class have enjoyed creating nativity scenes these past few weeks.  Both came to me via Pinterest.  The first one is a paper version... http://www.pinterest.com/source/daniellesplace.com/

These are a simple cut and paste activity...

This summer we've enjoyed various types of ice cream and families saved their popsicle sticks for us.   Mostly, we've used them for counting and place value.  But when I saw this idea, I decided to expand our horizons :) !  We decided to add googly eyes to make them "come alive."  Fortunately we also had Haagen-Dazs ice cream, as sticks from these icy treats were ideal for the people and the manger.

The link for this project is as follows: http://www.pinterest.com/bluemtgirl/seyas-art-camp/

While these took just a bit more creativity.

 

Tomorrow we'll add a few words to the roof and take them home.