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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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