Friday, May 29, 2015

Salmon Release Field Trip

If you have any questions about the salmon release field trip, please feel free to ask me directly.  You can ask here on the blog or in person.  If you have a question, I imagine one of the other parents do too.

:)
Melissa

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

No Pick, No Pull, No Pocket

No Pick, No Pull, No Pocket is an important lesson to teacher children now that there are so many beautiful flowers blooming.  In our Learning Yard, we have received donations of Forget-Me-Nots, Lilly of the Valley and Sweet Woodruff.  All will grow into beautiful ground cover if we allow them to establish themselves.  I was thrilled to see the Lilly of the Valley was intact this morning, the Forget-Me-Nots didn't do as well the night before.

If we work together, we can make our learning yard beautiful.

:)
Melissa

Monday, May 25, 2015

Adventure Time

Today, I will be going outside with rooms 107, 110, 210 and 109.  Let's hope that 40% chance of rain is exaggerated.  We will continue to practice our tree climbing skills, plant some Forget-Me-Nots and collect ants for our ant farm.  If the rain begins, we will plant another mini greenhouse to make sprouts for the planters in the Learning Yard.   So much to do!!!  So much learning and fun.

Today, I say thanks to the rain for helping all living things grow, just please come after school.

:)
Melissa

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

May Flowers

May is the month were flowers are coming up everywhere.  They are beautiful to see and smell.  I know children love to pick flowers and I totally understand the urge, to possess something so beautiful.  The problem, of course, is that once picked, the flower immediately begins to die and then we cant enjoy it any more.  I talk to the children about roots and how flowers need their roots and leaves to make food to survive and by picking them, the flower cant make food anymore.  Please encourage your child to enjoy the flowers where they grow and not to pick them.  If we leave them where they are, they will be there for us to enjoy tomorrow.  Allowing your child to take a picture of the flower is a great way for them to share the flower with others without picking it.

Thank you to the flowers for being so beautiful and smelling so sweet.
:)
Melissa

Friday, May 15, 2015

Aboriginal leader calls for indigenous education initiatives

Aboriginal leader calls for indigenous education initiatives

 


 

 

Aboriginal leader calls for indigenous education initiatives
 

Wab Kinew is the University of Winnipeg’s vice-president for indigenous relations.

Canada would be a better place if everyone had more knowledge about indigenous languages and cultures, aboriginal leader Wab Kinew told hundreds of education leaders in Whistler on Wednesday.
Kinew, who is a musician, journalist and University of Winnipeg vice-president for indigenous relations, was speaking at a national conference for school principals and vice-principals called Connecting Leaders: Inspiring Learning.
In an inspirational and moving presentation, Kinew said if the goal is to cultivate innovation in schools, students should be taught that there is more than one way to think.
“Shouldn’t we teach ... that there is a variety of world views? Some of those new ways of thinking about problems should come from indigenous people,” he said.
He used Facebook as an example of a company that used an Aboriginal idea to drive its innovation.
Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, “thought of (the social media network) as a global potlatch”, Kinew said.
“This company has generated a huge amount of wealth, and some part of their innovation was created by learning about aboriginal culture,” Kinew said.
Although this is often misunderstood, aboriginal learning was very systematized and formalized, Kinew said. “Our traditions are rich and complex and have a tremendous depth that I don’t think is really appreciated,” he said.
Research by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards shows that if aboriginal students had the same educational outcomes as other Canadians and the same access to employment, the Canadian economy would grow, tax revenue would grow, and government expenditures would shrink, Kinew said.
Long ago, a native leader proposed that the Europeans and the indigenous people should exchange children so they could learn about each others’ way of life and the two cultures could live in peace.
“Obviously, this vision was not fulfilled — only the native children were taken,” Kinew said. “Had this vision been realized, where would we be today? Would Canada look different? Yes.”
He said the leader’s idea that education could be the foundation for living in peace and harmony should be a way forward for Canada today.
For example, Kinew said that in indigenous culture, “the chief should be the poorest one in the community.”
“What they’re saying is that if you want to be a leader, it’s not about you. If you want to be a leader, it should be about a life of service,” he said. “If someone in your community is hungry, you should give them your food. If someone in your community is cold, you should give them your blanket.”
Kinew said if people grew up hearing this, their values and their moral compass would be vastly different. Other examples he gave were about how to deal with differences between people and how to protect the environment. He said Tatanka Iyotanke, known as Sitting Bull, said during the Indian Wars that “in order for there to be peace on these lands, it is not necessary for eagles to be crows.
“He’s saying that it is not necessary for us to be exactly alike to share the lands and live together,” Kinew said. “Reconciliation shouldn’t be a second chance at assimilation. ... We shouldn’t seek to humiliate our opponents. Really, the real goal should be reconciliation.”
Concerning the environment, he said globalized society views the natural world as subservient to man, while aboriginal culture says, “We don’t own the land, the land owns us.”
“Would we be in the same situation of environmental degradation if everyone in this country had learned the aboriginal way of life? I would suggest to you, probably not,” Kinew said.
Kinew began his presentation, which was introduced with a First Nations song and a presentation by high school students about murdered and missing aboriginal women, with a long passage in his native language.
“I always like to do that because Ojibway was the ... trade language of this country for hundreds of years, and yet now very few people can recognize it,” he said “For crying out loud, our country has an aboriginal name, yet who among us can properly explain the origins of that name? How can we claim to be Canadian if we can’t understand what the name our country means?”
Kinew talked about several initiatives at the University of Winnipeg that are acting as a pipeline for aboriginal children from the time they are toddlers until the time they enter university. For example, the university was perhaps the first in Canada to waive tuition payments for former foster children. Beginning in 2016, the university will require all students to take a mandatory aboriginal studies course.
In another program, teenage girls learn about aboriginal culture and then teach their peers about it. In another, young children learn about science using aboriginal language and cultural teachings to interpret it.
Kinew’s father was a residential school student. He said his father’s name was changed, he was abused, starved and lost his culture and language. Not only that, but Kinew said he was part of an experiment in which additives were put in flour that was fed to the students.
“Think about what that says. That happened in this country, within living memory,” Kinew said. “We are in an era of truth and reconciliation. I like to turn that around and say, ‘No truth, no reconciliation.”
But today, Kinew’s sister is working on her PhD at Harvard, which shows that there are some very notable success stories in the aboriginal community.
“The socio-economic indicators, generally speaking, are grim, but there are some positive indicators. The education gap still exists, but there are now 27,000 indigenous students in post-secondary institutions so the ship is turning,” Kinew said. “(This) is the face of Aboriginal resurgence — young, educated, successful by any measure, but also deeply connected to Aboriginal culture, language and community. Also predominantly female.”
Kinew said all Canadians should push for better outcomes for aboriginal students and want Canada “to be the greatest nation in the world — a nation in which every child can meet their potential bolstered by a fair and just education.”
Sun Education Reporter
tsherlock@vancouversun.com

Thursday, May 14, 2015

a picture is worth a thousand words

These images will open your eyes to the impact the modern world has on the environment.

We have the luxury of living in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Australia is rich with green bush, blue oceans and clear skies. We don't often get the opportunity to see what it's like to live in a place where mass-human consumption has taken its toll. Here are a few images to remind us of why it's important to do our bit, every day, to help preserve the natural beauty of our world.
Above: New Delhi, India. Population is roughly 25 million people. Photo from Digital Globe/Foundation for Deep Ecology.
Coal Power plant, United Kingdom. Photo by Jason Hawkes.
The worlds largest diamond mine. Picture by Digital Globe/Foundation for Deep Ecology.
Industrial agriculture in Almeria, Spain. Photo by Arthus Bertrand
Mexico City, Mexico. Picture by Pablo Lopez.
The LA city lights. A city famous for having more cars than people. Picture by Mike Hedge.
Resevoir created by Army Corps, Oregon. Picture by Daniel Dancer
North East Land, Svalbard, Norway. Picture by Cotton Coulson, Keenpress.
Open pit mining, Alberta, Canada. This can be seen from space. Photo by Garth Lentz
Vancouver Island, Canada. Photo by Garth Lentz.
A man turns away from the smell of the Yellow River, China. Picture by Lu Guang.
Black Friday, Idaho, USA. Picture by Darin Oswald
Kern River Oil field, California, USA. Picture by Mark Gamba.


It's unsettling to see what the human race is capable of when we look at these images. It's also hard to imagine how we could possibly reverse what we've done. But every little bit counts. We might live in one of the better-off countries, but we can still do our bit. As environmental advocates, it's our obligation to create awareness of these issues, and do every little bit we can to reduce our pollution and waste.

What you can do

Reuse everything you can & save money by avoiding over-consumption
Take up the personal challenge to find reuse options wherever you can: refillable coffee mugs and water bottles, reusable food storage containers, second hand items, rechargeable batteries, and a lot more.

Friday, May 8, 2015

something exciting is coming

On Monday, we begin a new inquiry.  There will be an exciting introduction to the classroom and it will lead to an inquiry to discover all we can about it.  I don't want to give any hints, but after school on Monday, ask your child what is new in room 101.

Enjoy the summer like weather,
:)
Melissa

Friday, May 1, 2015

giving thanks

On Fridays, we give thanks.  We read the book Giving Thanks by Chief Jake Swamp.  An example from the book is thanking the wind for bringing us fresh air.  After we read the book, we sit in a circle and pass a talking stone (if you hold the stone, it is your turn) and we say what we are thankful for.  The children who are uncomfortable speaking can just pass the stone without sharing what they are thankful for.  This weekly activity reminds us of all the wonderful things we have in our life.  There is always something to be thankful for.  Last week, if I remember correctly, I gave thanks to the sun for shining and warm us and to the flowers for growing and sharing their beauty.  I wonder what I will be thankful for today....

:)
Melissa