Congratulations to Fabian and Jade!!

An enormous congratulations from everyone in our room on your election as our Class Councillors for 2013! Both of you thoroughly deserve this honour and I know you will do us proud.  (Make sure we take some suitably stunning photos of you both tomorrow).

Guess What I've Just Bought For Us for Thinking Like Scientists??

CONSIDERATION

Each week we have a Syndicate Assembly where the focus is on sharing and celebrating our successes, visiting and revisiting values and sharing our ideas in an open forum.  It's a valuable and enjoyable time.

The students and I will post informtion every week about what we've discussed and the Value that we're working on.  These always combine with our school-wide values / philosophy of R2P2GC (Respectful, Responsible, Proud, Prepared Learners and Teachers who are Global Citizens).

This week's value is.....

CONSIDERATION

SIGNS OF SUCCESS - (The Virtues Project, Inc, 2000, 2004) - How we will know if we're considerate teachers and learners - and human beings!

• Respect other people's needs and feelings
• Consider others' needs as important as your own
• Stop and think how your actions will affect others
• Put yourself in other people's shoes (empathy)
• Give tender attention
• Think of little things to bring others happiness

Where do our school values of R2P2GC fit in here? 
What are the ways that you show and live these values in your daily lives - both in and out of school?

READING ROCKS!

I always love hearing the depth of discussion that goes on when everyone's reading.  We hopped outside today to take some photos of our teachers and learners enjoying the fresh air and good books.

We read every day and share so many different texts - picture books, novels, comics, poetry, history.......  You name it and you're sure to find it in our learning environment.

Come along and read with us after lunch every day - apart from Friday - assembly day! :-)

EPALS CLUES - Or WHERE IN THE WORLD??

Greetings Team!

Here are your clues:

*I have many famous landmarks.

*I am a city of many cultures.

*Millions of visitors come to me every year.

*At one stage in history I was the capital city of my country.

*In 1895 an important fast food we eat today became available in the first shop of this type in the world.

*More than 47% of my population over 5 speak a language other than English.

*I'm a popular film set.

*One of my bridges is famous for being the first in the world to have something on it.

Well, that's enough clues for now!  See how you go and how close you can get.

Reflecting on the Marshmallow Challenge

It was fantastic to see the team work that went on in all the groups yesterday!  Have you checked out the photos yet? 

I need some bloggers to add captions to the photos - see me if you're keen.  :-)

REFLECTING ON OUR LEARNING

• Think about what you accomplished yesterday.
• Discuss what the challenges were.
• What worked well, what didn't work so well?
• What would you change if you could do the challenge again today?
• Is it easier working in the groups I chose or having the freedom to choose your own groups?  Why?

Post your comments / thoughts and let the discussion begin!  (Keep in mind Reader Courtesy too).

The Marshmallow Challenge

Or...How to REALLY encourage Habits of Mind including Thinking Flexibly, Persistence, Using Humour, etc!!

We challenged our abilities to work cooperatively with people we don't usually work with - Miss H chose the cooperative groups this time.  We're reflecting on the challenges this provided and how easy / hard it is to work with people whose learning styles, etc may be very different to our own.  (This will also tie in with Multiple Intelligences learning as well as Habits of Mind).