On Wednesday, November 30th, the Grade 1/2 Class discussed why we have Pink Shirt Day. We decided that it is important to remember that everyone should be able to wear their favourite colour shirt, that people need to treat others with respect, and that standing up to bullies is important because bullying is wrong! We created Pink Shirt Day posters to remind everyone that our class will stand up to bullies!
The Grade 1/2 class observed Remembrance Day with a special guest visitor. Mark AuCoin shared pictures, his medals, and a special book entitled A Poppy is to Remember. We wrote an acrostic poem about the poppy and talked about how we can bring peace to our families and our community. It was a very special week.
AT LAST, OUR HARD WORK CAN BE REVEALED! This has been a difficult secret to keep, but after weeks of hard work, we can finally share the product of Lakeshore’s first-ever Costume Creations program! First, we designed our costume by drawing an illustration to plan what costume pieces needed to be made. In this design,…
This week in Junior Science we investigated water and air pressure, and how to make our own Deep Sea Divers. We used cleaned out pop bottles filled with water, and folded straws with paperclips to weigh them down. The secret is getting the balance just right so that the Diver is just poking out of the water when you test it in a cup of water.
After the Diver is weighed down properly, we put the cap on tightly. Something really neat happens when you squeeze the bottle… the Diver goes down to the bottom of the bottle!
How does it work? When you squeeze the bottle, the water can’t compress, but the air does, just a bit. So the air bubble inside the Diver shrinks, and the Diver sinks down to the bottom of the bottle. When you let the bottle go, the pressure is released, and the air bubble returns to its original size, so the Diver comes back up to the top of the water!
Ask either of our Junior Scientists to show you! This really is a cool science experiment.
Lakeshore School is pleased to offer a NEW Creative Campus after school program, open to ages 8+ up to adult. This is intended for students (and non-students) who are interested in learning basic machine sewing. We will copy and cut a paper pattern and sew your own pair of pyjama pants in time for winter…
Special Visitors in Our Classroom
The Grade 1/2 students have recently enjoyed several presentations by special guests. Fire fighter Clinton taught us about fire safety. We learned how to stop, drop, and roll, and how to stay low and get out in case of a fire. We made fire escape plans with our families and marked our emergency exits and safe meeting places at home.
Mrs. Prasad visited to share information about Diwali. We learned about the celebrations and traditions of the festival of light, and sampled some of her delicious cooking! We love having visitors in our classroom! Would you like to visit us?
As part of our expanded Creative Campus after school programs, some of our Grade 2 and 3 students are working on science experiments using easily-obtained kitchen supplies. Our focus for the past few sessions has been Atmospheric Pressure, Acids and Bases, and Chemical Reactions.
Hot water from a kettle heats up the air inside a plastic bottle, and adds water vapour into the air. When you seal the bottle and put it in ice water, the water vapour condenses and the air cools down, creating a smal vaccuum inside the bottle. Here, the bottle is being sucked in by the vaccuum.
Vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in an egg’s shell to create little bubbles of carbon dioxide as it dissolves the shell. After 24 hours of soaking in vinegar, a raw egg’s shell is fully dissolved and it feels soft when you touch it. The egg’s membrane is surprisingly strong!
Vinegar also has a chemical reaction with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and reacts very strongly by making lots of fizzy bubbles containing carbon dioxide. We performed several experiments with carbon dioxide gas (CO2) such as extinguishing a candle and blowing up balloons.
We also used pH strips and Red Cabbage Indicator to investigate kitchen chemicals and classify them as Acids or Bases. We learned that acids and bases react with each other and some can make very poisonous gases!
The next few sessions of Level Up: Junior Science will investigate things that float, and how ships sink!
The Grade 1/2 class has been learning about proper sentence structure and punctuation. We practiced our sentence writing skills this week as we wrote about all of the things that we are thankful for. Many students were very thankful for their family, friends, and school. Students were also thankful for all of the trips that we have taken this year. We have learned so much from our trips to Little Cat Creek and the Fall Fair. Students were also very thankful for their after school clubs, teams, and activities. Many students listed soccer and hockey as activities that they are very thankful for. School subjects were also very popular in our thankful writing work. Math , Reading , and Lego Robotics were the subjects that the Grade 1/2 students were most thankful for. We’ll have to see if those subjects stay as popular as the year continues!
This week, the Grade 1/2 class discovered that we learn sooooooo much when we explore the “outdoor classroom”! During our trip to Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area we learned about taking care of nature and our environment. We explored a stream and found many wonderful tiny creatures. We learned about camouflage and played a fun hiding game. We went on a long hike through the forest and looked at moss, fungi, and wild flowers. Little Cat Creek is a fabulous place to learn! We can’t wait to go back!
We are reading ‘The City of Ember’ by Jeanne DuPrau. It’s a YA novel set in a dark city where everything is old and slowly breaking down. Two children, Lina and Doon, start to investigate the hidden areas and discover a great big secret….
We meet on Tuesdays from 4:30-5:30, and have a discussion about aspects of the book’s theme, the characters, and interesting plot points. To add to our literacy skills, we discuss unfamiliar vocabulary and read sections out loud to each other. The best part, according to the club members, is snack time! We have only started reading the first two chapters, so if you know someone in grade 3-8 who would enjoy reading along with us, please contact the school to register.
Happy reading!
~ Ms. Coe