We Snack together, We learn together, AND we travel together!

Each fall I personally get so excited for our first class field trip! A few years ago I discovered this amazing fall field trip just 50 minutes from our school. That place is called Penner's Pumpkins. It is a farm run by the Penner family and it has everything and more that I think a field trip needs. There are opportunities for new learning, hands on experiences, visuals and the ability for children to kinaesthetically take risks and above all play.

A few of the activities for the day were:

-Watching Pig Races

-Learning about Pumpkins and Squashes

-Going on a nature scavenger hunt through the forest

-Learning about chickens and goats

-Playing in/on three different natural wood play areas

-Pumpkin picking and painting

I think the mark of a good field trip is when even the adults are enjoying themselves, and I think I can speak for all of the adults who attended that it definitely was an amazing day!

 So amazing I actually came back two days later with my own son and husband!

Here are some candid images from the day:

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Nicole and Room 6

How we began our Readers Workshop Journey

I view reading as more of a journey then a means to an end. As a child I often struggled with reading and felt that my teachers were always frustrated with me. Thankfully my parents we always amazing, they read to me every night never pressuring me to read. I had countless interventions in school and it took me until grade 8, when I had the MOST AMAZING teacher who saw me and my reading in a whole new way for me to develop my love of reading. And thanks to that teacher reading is one of my passions and a favourite of mine to teach. Thank you to that teacher!!!

In room 6 reading began with an exploration of the books and the book bins that we have in our classroom. Students enjoyed reading stories independently and with a partner. Eventually (after much begging by them!) I felt it was time for each student to have their own special book bin to keep their most treasured books in. And from here our reading journey has taken off!

We have had many great conversations about
                                                      "What do readers do?"
                                                                                                              "Where do readers read?"
"Why do readers read?"              

The students came up with some amazing ideas for all of these questions and all showed such a genuine interest for story.


One thing I found so interesting was how each student finds a different place in the room that is a "Good fit" spot for them. Here were some of their choices...

 As a class we have been working on what it Looks Like, Sounds Like and Feels Like when we Read to Self (RTS) and when we Read with Someone (RWS). Until next time...

                                                                     Happy Reading!!

The Classroom that Snacks together, stays together!

Over the summer when thinking about my classroom their were a few key activities that I wanted to have as apart of each day. One of those traditions being to have a snack that the students are responsible for preparing and serving to each other, family style. I truly believe that a 1,2,3 multi-age classroom can only be successful when the children learn to work together as a group...similar to that of a family. And when we are preparing and serving snack to one another the students have been learning more and more about each other as well as how to work together!

Here are some of the snacks we have prepared and shared thus far:

-Muffins and jam

-Apple slices and WOW butter

-Granola Bars

-Veggies and dip

UP NEXT: Trail Mix

Making Muffins!

Happy Snacking!!