by Rachael Orford
Today is a P.D. Day! It is also Groundhog Day! We get to find out how much more winter is to come. Another six weeks? Or is spring right around the corner?
Last Tuesday, January 23 it was definitely winter as students had another snow day. Buses were cancelled because of the ice and slippery road conditions.
On January 24, Grades 1,2 and 3 went skating at the arena in Gore Bay.
Last Friday, January 26 was pyjama day. Students came to school in their pyjamas and spent the whole day sleeping. Not exactly, but they sure wanted to. Some students even said that all they did on Friday morning was roll out of bed and come to school.
A joke for you: Why did the man run around his bed? Because he was trying to catch up with his sleep.
Friday was also the teachers vs. students volleyball games. Out of the five games played, the teachers won three games and lost two. The student teams (girls, boys and Grade 8 co-ed) won two games and lost three. The girls’ team started off with a win over the teachers.
Then, in the third game, the girls lost to the teachers. The boys lost the second and fourth games to the teachers. For the fifth and final game, a Grade 8 co-ed team was quickly formed and they beat the teachers. This year because of their win, the girls came away with the bragging rights.
On January 30, Grades 4, 5 and 6 participated in TREC workshops.
On Wednesday, January 31, 10 students from Grades 7 and 8 went to Espanola to participate in a cardboard boat race event. Teams had two hours to build and decorate a boat. The boat was made from two sheets of cardboard, duct tape and other materials. The boats were judged on their speed, strength and appearance.
Yesterday, February 1, an arts consultant from the Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) visited the Grade 8 class to give a drama lesson for an hour and a half. Emily Caruso-Parnell also visited other classes in the school to support staff and students in the arts.
The second stage of public speaking occurred on February 1. The students that were chosen to go on from their classroom level presented their speeches to the judges. The judges will decide which students will go onto the gym on the evening of February 14.
On February 12, the nurses from the health unit will be visiting the Grade 8 class to talk about growth mindset. Growth mindset is understanding that a person’s talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. It doesn’t necessarily mean that all people are the same, but it is a belief that everyone can get more knowledgeable if they work at it. In a growth mindset, there are no “I can’t do it,” or “This is impossible!”
The character trait for the month of February is courtesy. Staff would like to see all students being more courteous not only for the month, but for the rest of the year.
Joke of the week: Why did the math book look so sad? Because it had so many problems.
Upcoming events include: Tim Horton’s Camp, Sound of Music trip, public speaking finals, and the Island chess tournament.
Until next time, “Dream and Believe. Learn and Achieve!”
