The class who love school so much they skipped part of Gym



Just one of the fun activities that the class
graciously sacrificed today...

 Okay, so the title of today's post is sort of misleading. I'll explain more later in the post. That being said, we had a great time today as we start to get into the swing of things. Each day I notice that the students are getting more and more eager to participate and involve themselves in their learning and that of their classmates. Exciting times at BCE indeed!

We did our first Science experiment today, as an introduction to atmospheric science in our weather unit. The goal was to show that the air around us takes up space, so we used cups held underwater to show how air can displace water in another cup. The students really enjoyed the activity, so you may see this demonstrated at home tonight. It also bears mentioning that while I mentioned how air being trapped under a submerged vessel can be useful when a boat flips over (to help you breathe underwater), I in no way endorse the intentional sabotage of aquatic vehicles of any kind.

We also repeated and elaborated on an activity from last year. This involved viewing 2 videos, listening to a piece of music, and listening to a poem. The idea was to show students how to actively respond to something they hear, see or view in a meaningful way. We discussed how it is necessary to listen/watch/read carefully, then to think about what our reactions are in detail and record them. We shared these reactions, observed again, then reached final conclusions.



Yet another way to respond to videos?

 Responding is a key part of their evaluation this year, since it tends to indicate understanding very accurately. I impressed upon students that paying attention in class is their responsibility in the end, and how much they pay attention has a real effect on how well they can complete tasks later on. I was pleased with their responses, and I will give out French Duotangs before long that contains the information we discussed today. This should help when working on projects as the year goes on.

This afternoon we had several members of the Lion's Club visit to see a SmartBoard in action. We ran over into Gym class a few minutes, but the students were very courteous and waited patiently while I finished presenting to the group. I will try to sneak in a bit of outdoor fun later in the week.

I didn't assign any homework as a result of their actions, to thank them for being so patient and considerate. However, I can already see that some students have gone home and started using KidBlog! Great to see the enthusiasm in this new way of communicating. I encourage students to keep experimenting and posting throughout the week. I will start assigning specific tasks by the end of the week, but in the interim I encourage students to keep experimenting and posting things with French commentaries.

I hope to see you all at Curriculum Night, tomorrow at 7pm. Even if you are only able to attend for a short period of time, it would be great to touch down with you and pass along some important information. If you can't make it, please let me know.