A rainy day
Physical activity is always important for us, each day. We have an abundance of energy in our bodies and we need to have the opportunity to use it up, as much as possible. On rainy days, this can be challenging however in Flowers Class our teachers always make time for us to move our bodies through playing a game.
We played a fun game today with a wooden ball that reminded those of us who visited Cambodia, about the wooden ball that the children had in Ohana Learning Tree. We sat in a circle and said someone’s name and then bounced the ball to them. Once they caught the ball, it was their turn to call someone else's name and throw the ball. The first time that we played, we played the game slowly and the second time Kai told us that we only had five seconds to choose someone and say their name and throw the ball. It was so tricky to play in this way because Kai was counting loudly so we felt the pressure to get rid of the ball and say someone’s name within five seconds. We had to focus and pay attention carefully. Phew!
OUR SEASONAL TREE
As you all know, our seasonal tree has been a focus of our classroom this year. It be-came many things and fitted in with what we were learning about. It was a Christmas Tree, a Cambodia Tree, a Kindness Tree, Ohana Learning Tree, and a Mother’s Day Tree. Today the subject of what to do with the tree came up and we made a few suggestions:
Shelley: What should we do with the tree?
Ai: Make it a Christmas Tree
Sarah: Make it a Halloween Tree
Orion: We can keep it for Halloween
Ava: How about we can make something else
Shelley: That’s a great idea. What is that something else we can make it into?
Ethan: A mystery
Temma: Ohana Learning Tree
Shelley: Do you remember we already make it into Ohana Learning Tree
Alona: We can make it into a normal tree
Shelley: What would you have on a normal tree?
Ai: Leaves
William: Seeds
Emilie: Flowers
Momo: Branches
Braxton: Robots
Ava: We can make a vine with grapes
Taisei: Strawberry tree
Natan: Chocolate tree
Momo: Lemon tree
Ava: Apple tree
Sarah: Banana tree
Emilie: Pineapple tree
Shelley: Like the ones we saw in Cambodia
Kensei: A melon tree
Orion: Orange tree
Temma: Fruits tree
Sarah: Watermelon tree
Emilie: Pear tree
Braxton: I want to think a bit more
Shelley: Can I tell you what I would like to do with the tree? I’m going to whisper so maybe
we can all come closer. I would like to throw it in the garbage.
Children: No (initially)
Sarah: We can break it up
Ava: We can rip it
Shelley: What is our tree made of?
Natan: Plastic
Taisei: Paper
Shelley: And what is a tree made of?
William: Wood
Shelley: How about we vote and see what we can do with the tree? Okay, who wants to
throw it away (we had eleven hands raised). How many would like it to become a fruit
tree? (we had six hands raised). How many would like it to be a normal tree? (one)
So you can see what the outcome was. The children also mentioned that the tree was
too big for the garbage but suggested that we break it into smaller pieces. In the meantime,
Liezel had an idea that perhaps they could us the tree for their drama movie. So
she contacted Petals Class, and they decided that they wanted the tree. We ended up
giving it to them with the stand which they will return at the end of the year. Now we
have a lot more space in the one corner of our classroom; so what are we going to put
there?
MORNING ACTIVITIES:
1. WRITING OUR FRIENDS NAMES
Yesterday you saw that we cut out all of our friends and teachers faces from Flowers
Class and pasted them into our workbooks/portfolios. Well today was an even more
challenging part; writing everyone’s name alongside their photo. WOW! Our teachers
said! They were so amazed to see how we were able to write all the names and with so
much tenacity and determination. We looked at the names on some old sign in sheets
and some of us copied them, while some of us tried to sound out the names all by ourselves.
Our chests were filled with pride!
2. WATERCOLOUR PAINTING ON OUR PICTURES FOR CAMBODIA
We are going to send our Cambodia Story to Cambodia to Ohana Learning Tree at the end
of the year together with some pictures that we drew of ourselves. We will tell our
teachers to write what our favourite things we love to do in Flowers Class which we will
attach to our drawings. We made the drawings using lead pencil and today we painted
with water colour. Since we started doing water colour paintings, our talent and skills
has grown so much, Our pictures are vibrant and happy,
3. MATCHING SHAPES ONTO PICTURES
Usually when we play this game, we use the side of the boards that has a form with the
matching colours of the blocks. Today our teachers turned the cards over so that they
were just in black and white and we had to work out which shapes and colours belonged
where.
4. LEGO
We love Lego and today Natan and Shelley arranged the Lego so that we had easier access
to it. They took all the draws out of their shelves and placed them on top of the circular
shaped cushions. We spent a long time, making interesting constructions and enjoying
our morning with our friends.
5. CUTTING OUT OUR FRIENDS FACES
Some of our friends who were not at school yesterday, spent part of the morning cutting
out faces and pasting them into their workbooks/portfolios, as we did yesterday. They
also wrote names next to the faces.
STORY
We were so happy to receive two beautiful books from Temma in honour of his 5th
birthday. We read the one book that didn’t have a title on the cover however when you
turned the page, you saw that it was called “SQUARE”. It was a fabulous story and maybe
over time we will see more and more into the story of the square that was told that it
was a genius by a circle; who commissioned it to make a circle just like the circle. We
think that you have to read the book to understand it! Thanks so much Temma for your
wonderful books for our library.
SPECIAL MOMENTS
It wasn’t anyone’s TEACH ME NOW today but Sarah discovered a praying mantis at her
house so she brought it along to show it to us. Many of us are interested in bugs and had
some praying mantis facts to share with us.
Thanks for a fabulous rainy day in Flowers Class.