Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Sunny Tuesday

Today, room 110 will learn the Grandfather Teaching of Wisdom.

Nibwaakaawin—Wisdom: To cherish knowledge is to know Wisdom. Wisdom is given to be used for the good of the people. In the Anishinaabe language, this word expresses not only "wisdom," but also means "prudence," or "intelligence." In some communities, Gikendaasowin is used; in addition to "wisdom," this word can also mean "intelligence" or "knowledge."

Room 108 will learn the teaching of Truth.

Debwewin—Truth: Truth is to know all of these things. Speak the truth. Do not deceive yourself or others.

I will see room 211 in their classroom and read the Subway Mouse by Barbra Reid. It is a story of a courageous mouse who discovers the natural world after living in a subway station for generations. Then we will do some yoga to move our bodies and practice mindfulness.

Rooms 102 and 212 will go on a walk to explore the progress of spring in relation to the plants.

Melissa

Friday, April 29, 2016

Happy Friday

As our weeks draws to an end, I wish you all a great weekend, We will be ending our week as follows:

Room 206 will be learning the Grandfather teaching of humility

Dabaadendiziwin—Humility: Humility is to know yourself as a special part of the planet. In the Anishinaabe language, this word can also mean "compassion." You are equal to others, but you are not better. Some communities instead express this with Bekaadiziwin, which in addition to "humility" can also be translated as "calmness," "meekness," "gentility" or "patience."

Room 211 will be learning wisdom.

Nibwaakaawin—Wisdom: To cherish knowledge is to know Wisdom. Wisdom is given to be used for the good of the people. In the Anishinaabe language, this word expresses not only "wisdom," but also means "prudence," or "intelligence." In some communities, Gikendaasowin is used; in addition to "wisdom," this word can also mean "intelligence" or "knowledge."

Room 212 will be reading Subway Mouse by Barbra Reid and doing yoga.

Rooms 108 and 110 will be going to the learning yard. We will investigate the trees and how they are progressing in their journey of Spring.

Melissa

Thursday, April 28, 2016

today's plan

Today, room 110 is off the Forest Valley.

Room 108 will learn the teaching of Humility.

Dabaadendiziwin—Humility: Humility is to know yourself as a special part of all living things. In the Anishinaabe language, this word can also mean "compassion." You are equal to others, but you are not better. Some communities instead express this with Bekaadiziwin, which in addition to "humility" can also be translated as "calmness," "meekness," "gentility" or "patience."

Rooms 102 and 212 will be going outside. We will go on a Signs of Spring Walk to look for signs of Spring.

Melissa

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Mr. Sun

Well, the sun has come back - thank you for warming us.

Today, room 212 will learn about honesty.

Gwayakwaadiziwin—Honesty: Honesty in facing a situation is to be brave. Always be honest in word and action. Be honest first with yourself, and you will more easily be able to be honest with others. In the Anishinaabe language, this word can also mean "righteousness."

Room 102 will learn about wisdom.

Nibwaakaawin—Wisdom: To cherish knowledge is to know Wisdom. Wisdom is given to be used for the good of the people. In the Anishinaabe language, this word expresses not only "wisdom," but also means "prudence," or "intelligence." In some communities, Gikendaasowin is used; in addition to "wisdom," this word can also mean "intelligence" or "knowledge."

Rooms 211 and 206 will go outside. We will do some filming for our film about littering.

Melissa

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Rain, Rain Go Away

It is another cold, rainy day. Which will be great for our butterfly garden. Speaking of the butterfly garden.....

The Butterfly Garden is in the corner of the learning yard. It is currently roped off. It used to be fenced off but the fence was broken and vandalized every evening, so it is gone since the fence posts are missing and the fencing destroyed. It is frustrating to see the materials, purchased with a donation from the Don Valley Women, vandalized. We are trying to protect the plants from being trampled so they can thrive but that is impossible without community support. Furthermore, the bulbs we planted in the Autumn that were about to bloom got picked so we currently have no flowers growing.

When in the learning yard with your families, prevent your children from breaking and taking the fence or barriers we have constructed to protect the garden. Also, work with your child to help them understand that if you pick a flower, it dies and no one gets to enjoy it, but it you leave it there to bloom, everyone and everything can enjoy it and it will bloom year after year.

If we work together, we will eventually have a thriving, beautiful garden that will attract butterflies.

Thanks for your support,
:)
Melissa

Monday, April 25, 2016

A Rainy Monday

April showers bring May flowers...which is hard to embrace when it is chilly outside.

Inside the cozy classroom, room 110 will learn about honesty and room 108 will learn about wisdom.

http://ojibwe.net/projects/prayers-teachings/the-gifts-of-the-seven-grandfathers/

In the afternoon, room 102 and 206 will be going outside, assuming the rain doesn't stop us. We will be choosing a tree to follow it's development as spring progresses.

:)
Melissa

Friday, April 22, 2016

Happy Earth Day

Today is the First Annual Fraser Mustard Earth Day Fashion Show. Each class has made a piece of wearable art that will be modeled by one of their educators. Check out the Fraser Mustard Facebook page for pictures and video of this event.

:)
Melissa

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

a busy day

Today, rooms 212, 110, and 102 will be learning the Grandfather Teaching of Courage. Room 211 will learn about respect and room 108 will learn about honesty.

http://ojibweresources.weebly.com/ojibwe-teachings--the-7-grandfathers.html

Room 206 will go outside and continue with our gardening project. Yesterday, with room 212, we dug up the place where the hose attaches. Today, we will try to open it - we couldn't yesterday, it was either stuck or we were doing it wrong. We will also continue filling the planter with soil, in preparation for planting.

So far, the children have planted tomatoes, corm, cucumber and cantaloupe. We are waiting for them to sprout inside and care for them until they are strong enough to go outside, sometime the week of May 24th.

:)
Melissa

Monday, April 18, 2016

Happy Monday!

Today, we begin to learn the Grandfather Teaching of Respect. Taking care of yourself, listening to your elders, taking care of the planet and sharing with family and friends are ways we show respect.

Room 211 is lucky. We will go outside today, water the butterfly garden and continue preparing the learning yard for gardening season. We have a few hardy flowers sprouting and few about to flower. I can't wait for the flowers.

:)
Melissa

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Community Clean Up Day

Anyone who lives in this community can see that we have a litter problem. It is unsightly and creates pollution. Today, all of us at Fraser Mustard will be going outside to clean up our planet. The children will be given a latex glove so that they are not touching potentially germy litter directly. I will be taking out room 108, 103 and 212.

Room 110 will be coming to my room and leaning about Vermicomposting.

:)
Melissa

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

a little about today

On this beautiful, sunny day, we will be busy bees. Room 212 will learn the Grandfather teaching of Love.

http://www.7grandfatherteachings.ca/teachings.html

Room 102 will help create the props for the animation part of the Eco movie we are making for the Planet in Focus Film Festival.

http://planetinfocus.org/

Rooms 211 and 206 will go outside. We will sharpen our observation skills by playing Signs of Spring I Spy. Closely observing nature is the best way to create an understanding and love of our natural world which, as the children grow, will create adults who love and protect the environment.

:)
Melissa

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

A little about today

Today, rooms 206 and 211 will learn the Grandfather Teaching of love. After reading a story about a boy working to find a "just right gift" for his sick grandmother (spoiler alert - he decides on a hug) many children are writing about how they show their family that they love them.

In room 110, we will read How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac. This story is widely told by Indigenous storytellers along the East Coast. The story invites discussions of humility, love, the natural cycle of the planet - sunrise and sunset. Most importantly, the children love the dramatic story. After that, we will have a short session where we will do yoga together. Yoga is a great way for the children to increase their physical strength and flexibility as well as quiet and calm the mind and body.

Rooms 208 and 212 will go outside to the learning yard where we will explore the areas we will garden in next month as well as monitor the progress of the bulbs that have sprouted in the butterfly garden.

All that and so much more - no wonder we are all tired after school.

:)
Melissa

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Our growing student container garden

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Gardening centre

This is what happens when u leave gardening centre alone for a long weekend.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Getting ready for gardening season

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

World Water Day

World Water Day 2016: 40 photos to make you think twice about wasting this precious resource

By David Sim
March 20, 2016 08:00 GMT
6,597

Access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation services is vital to human health. However, about 650 million people, or 10% of the world's population, do not have access to safe water, putting them at risk of infectious diseases and premature death.

World Water Day 2015 — People gather to fetch water from a huge well in the village of Natwarghad in the western Indian state of GujaratReuters

Dirty water and poor sanitation can cause severe diseases in children, killing 900 under-fives every day across the world, according to United Nations estimates – or one child every two minutes. Among newborn babies, the World Health Organisation says infections caused by a lack of safe water and an unclean environment cause one death every minute somewhere in the world.

World Water Day 2016 — Slum dwellers collect drinking water from a submerged hand-pump after heavy rains in the northern Indian city of AllahabadReuters

Monday, March 21, 2016

World Forestry Day

Theme for 2016:
Forests and water

This global celebration of forests provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests.

Forests cover one third of the Earth's land mass, performing vital functions around the world. Around 1.6 billion people - including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures - depend on forests for their livelihood.

Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, home to more than 80% of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. They also provide shelter, jobs and security for forest-dependent communities.

Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate - 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually. Deforestation accounts for 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Canals in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia,

Canals in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia,

Celebrating forests and water

Every year on the International Day of Forests we celebrate the ways in which forests and trees sustain and protect us. This year we are raising awareness of how forests are key to the planet’s supply of freshwater, which is essential for life.

A resident of the National Tapajos Forest collects wild foliage for preparing a meal. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Did you know?

Forested watersheds and wetlands supply 75 percent of the world’s accessible freshwater
About one-third of the world’s largest cities obtain a significant proportion of their drinking water directly from forested protected areas
Nearly 80 percent of the world’s population – 8 out of 10 people - is exposed to high levels of threat to water security
Improved water resource management can show considerable economic gains
Forests act as natural water filters
Climate change is altering forests role in water flows and the availability of water resources
Forests have a crucial role in building and strengthening resilience

More information on the Day is available at the UN Forum on Forests.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Happy Friday

I wish all the families of Fraser Mustard a wonderful holiday. When we get back after March Break, it is Spring! A wonderful time of growth, renewal and gardening!!
:)
Melissa

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Today's Events!

Today, in room 101 we are focusing on reusing and recycling. Room 207 and 103 with begin/continue their reusing art. Room 101 has an extensive collection of items that can be used in new and interesting ways. Things that otherwise would have been thrown away like boxes, toilet paper tubes disposable coffee cups and disposable water bottles, for example. The children may create art or something functional like a planter or a toy. Watch to see what your child creates.

Room 204 and 213 will make posters for each class to help the children their garbage into recycling and trash.

:)
Melissa

Monday, March 7, 2016

a little about today

This morning, room 207 will be learning the Grandfather Teaching of Truth. Truth just is. The earth, the seasons, trees and wind and sunshine are. These things are truth.

Room 204 will be making art with reused materials. Perhaps they will make a planter, a toy box, a toy or just something beautiful. Reusing reduces the amount of materials that end up in the landfill as well as eliminates the need to make new things, which uses energy and resources.

Have a great day!

:)
Melissa