Although it was only a three-day week for Stettler Elementary students, last week there were many interesting activities going on throughout the school. Teachers had planned for students to finish up projects or units of study before the long weekend break.
For example, in Mrs. Sylvester's class they wound up a plant project. Her Grade 1 students had been immersed in the study of living and non-living things. As part of this study, each student had been observing the bean seed they planted a couple weeks ago. The students had been studying growth rates and patterns. They were anxious to point out the similarities and differences they'd observed in the new plants. On Wednesday afternoon, as these young botanists were leaving, they carefully carried their bean plants home for spring planting.
As a final activity, the Grade 2 students in Mrs. Boyd-Stadelmann's classroom floated the boats they had constructed. After the boats were successfully floated, the students displayed them in the library for a few days. Similarly, Mrs. Rachar's Grade 3 classroom was under construction as the students were busy constructing bridges as the culminating activity for their science unit: Testing Building Materials and Designs. The students were applying what they have learned throughout the unit of study. Their assignment was to build a stable structure to see if their bridge would support a one kilogram mass.
Further down the hallway, Mrs. Boyd's Grade 4 class completed the reading of a favorite novel, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl. It is always gratifying to finish a unit or project and reflect back on all the learning that has occurred.
All Grade 4 students participated in an exciting, interactive learning experience on Tuesday, May 12 when the ATCO Energy Education Mobile visited Stettler Elementary. The unit is a large motorhome equipped with four learning stations that include computers and magnetic whiteboards. Students participated in activities where they learned about Alberta's energy resources and how to use them efficiently. The topics are part of Grade 4 science and social studies, and this experience provided a fun, hands-on way to review and expand on learning that the students have completed throughout the year. Thank you to ATCO EnergySense for providing this opportunity to the Grade 4 classes.
The Show Choir, directed by Mrs. Kirby, performed three songs at the Legion Mother's Day Tea on Tuesday, May 12. It was a beautiful day for the students and teachers to walk to and from the Legion for the performance. The choir sang enthusiastically and was greatly appreciated by their audience. Thank you to Mrs. Lynes for playing the piano and Mrs. Boyd for helping to supervise!
On Thursday, May 14, when the students were already enjoying their long weekend, Clearview teachers participated in a professional development day that focused on GAFE training. GAFE, Google Apps for Educators, is a Google hosted solution for school email, calendars and shared documents. Clearview's Director of Technology, Steve Meyer, introduced many features of the system and provided examples of how teachers can use GAFE in the classroom to enhance student learning.