The Next Wave of Snow is Upon Us

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..last Monday we saw more snow than predicted but still no ‘Snow Day’ in Toronto

Luckily everyone else stayed off the roads so driving to work on Monday wasn’t as bad as it could have been. About one third of our students stayed home and made their own ‘Snow Day’. All the other school boards around Toronto closed schools for the day. We only cancelled buses. It’s funny how conditions for school buses are too dangerous but it’s okay for teachers and parents to get out in their cars to get to school. Go figure!

Anyway, I didn’t intend to rant about last Monday. Today we’re experiencing more snow but I’m not sure that we’re going to get as much as predicted. I’m trying to get out and walk more so late this afternoon, when the snow started I went out for a walk and on my way home I took a few photos. They’re a little grainy because it started to get dark but some of that graininess is the snow that’s coming down.

I went out again a little while ago to walk the dog but she wouldn’t go further than around the block so I think I’m going to be about a thousand steps shy of my 10 000 step goal. Maybe I’ll go out one more time without her and shovel some of that snow.

some of

Kindergarten Klimt Patterns

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….Gustav Klimt created beautiful patterns using gold leaf along with red and black paint

My kindergarten class created their own prints with inspiration from Gustav Klimt. I gave each student a sturdy piece of cardboard. Last year one of my parents donated a whole box of these 9 x 12 pieces of cardboard. You might remember that the grade 3s last year made looms from them and created amazing woven wall hangings (Weaving Our Way to Happiness).

On the first day I gave each student shapes, (i.e., squares, rectangles, circles) cut out from foam board and red, black and orange paint. They painted the shapes and then randomly pressed them onto the cardboard. Once they were finished we put them away to dry.

On the second day I gave them lids and corks and stamps that I had made with students in another class. I also introduced silver and gold acrylic paint. I encouraged them to stamp the new colours inside the shapes they had printed the week before. There’s something about metallic paints that children love.

On the third day we talked about adding texture and detail using a fine tip black Sharpie. Their work went from wonderful to WOW. Here are a few of the finished prints.

another class

Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge – Chairs and Tables

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..not sure that I have any table photos but I do have chairs

The Beauty After the Storm

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..once the sun came out I was inspired to brave the cold and walk toward the lake

Freshly fallen snow is so beautiful and when the sun shines the snow literally sparkles.

Weekly Poetry Haiku Challenge #30

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..Ronovan Writes gives us the prompts force and free

Teaching Strategies

I am free to teach

inspire, motivate and mold

Young minds without force

***

Sometimes a small bribe

captivates the young learner

to focus clearly

***

Is it wrong or right?

Freedom to experiment

Brings results sans force

***

Today’s poem came as a result of a nutrition lesson I presented to my grade 5 health class today. We were examining the nutrition labels on bags of salty snacks. I told the class if we covered everything in my lesson they could sample the contents of the bags if they still wanted to after learning how to interpret the information on the nutrition labels. The lesson went well and the students were very focused. Amazing how the lure of receiving three or four chips kept the class engaged. Some of the students actually turned down the chips as they were passed around.

Image courtesy of: http://www.kettlebrand.com/site/files/traditionalChips.jpg

Sunday Trees – 168

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Mama Cormier

……posting on Monday

After today’s snowstorm. By late afternoon the sun came out and our world became a winter wonderland. Check out Becca Givens’ site for more Sunday trees.

Share Your World 2015 – Week 5

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..it’s already February and week 5

Do you prefer shopping or going to a park?

Why do I have to pick? I like them both. I like a balance of activities. I love to walk and I need to do more. January has been a tough month on the exercise front. I also love to shop and I didn’t much of that either in January. Okay February, time to up my game on both fronts.

If you were a shoe, what kind would you be and why?

I’m all about comfort now. I love my new hiking shoes and my ‘Blundstone’ style boots. Both work well when I’m walking and the boots are versatile and are somewhat fashionable.

What’s the story behind a time when you got locked out?

The last time I was locked out it happened at school. My swipe key was starting to break so the office administrator applied for a new one. Little did I know that the moment she applied for a new one the old one was declared null and void. That night I had to go back to school for a meeting and I couldn’t get back into the school. I walked to the front doors and they were locked so I walked around to the side entrance and then all the way through the school to get back to the library. It wouldn’t have been so bad but it was bitterly cold. The next morning I couldn’t get into the school again but when I finally did, the office had my new key ready for me.

Do you prefer eating foods with nuts or no nuts?

I love nuts and any food that contains nuts. When a box of chocolate is presented to me I always look for the chocolate with the nuts first. I love marzipan, Italian almond cookies, M&M Chocolate Covered Peanuts and almond bark.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Last week my husband had his post op appointments with his doctors and the surgery was successful. He still has to have iodine radiation done but no more surgery for the time being. We walked to a restaurant close to the hospital that I’ve always wanted to try and we had a wonderful meal together.

I’m grateful for time spent with my children. We all got together to deliver a desk to my oldest daughter and her sister made homemade empanadas for us to enjoy for lunch. I’m also happy to have finished proofreading report cards.

I’m looking forward to printing up the final copies of the report cards for all the teachers on staff. I’m also looking forward to working on more art projects and receiving the next art assignment from Carla.

Here are a couple of warm-up doodles that I created for the class.

Cheers and If you’d like to see more “Share Your World” posts head on over to Cee’s Photography and join in on the fun.

Crazy Hair Day

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..fun day at school

Last Thursday we had Crazy Hair Day. I wish I had more photos but my iPhone ran out of juice. The kids love it when the teachers play along. A couple of scrunchies and presto you have ‘crazy hair’.

Many of children used the spray that adds colour to your hair and some of them discovered that the colour runs when it gets wet. During dance class a few students had coloured sweat running down their foreheads and a couple of students stayed in during recess because it had started to snow and they were afraid that their hair creation would run onto their snow suits.