Critters and Conferences

Our week began with a visit from our friend Mike and his "pets".  The children had a great time because, not only could they see these fascinating creatures up close, but they could touch some of them!  Enjoy the photos.

WARNING: These photos may not be suitable for viewers with weak stomachs or fears of creepy crawlies!

 

The next critter was surprisingly beautiful and very, very soft.  She was very young and not yet full grown.  When the children touched her, she was a little jumpy!

Our next guest was quite intriguing and it was called a tailless whip scorpion.  If you look carefully, you can see the long whip which is actually used for feeling its way around.

Then we were introduced to a Giant Vinagroon.  This arachnid's defense mechanism is to emit a strong odour that smells similar to vinegar.

The Emperor Scorpion was next and Mike told us it's sting is quite mild compared to other scorpions.  He said he was curious one day and decided to annoy this scorpion enough to bite him.  Eeeek!  Mike said the sting was less painful than a bee sting.

This scorpion even glows! Wow!

Finally, Mike brought out the Pink-Toed Tarantula.  She was much larger than the first tarantula and actually had pink toes!  When the children touched her, they said she was as soft as a bunny.

Here are some other activities from this week:

We created a spider mural to show our expertise in this subject area.  With a few supplies and  lots of knowledge, the children created an amazing display!

 

 

 

 

With Student-Led Conferences right around the corner, we talked about the learning we wanted to share with our guests.  The students gathered their books and folders, familiarized themselves with the conference schedule, and then practiced sharing their work with a partner.



 

 

 

 

Finally, our guests arrived and the children were excited and ready to go!

In Karen and Jen's Math group, the children are practicing number sequencing.

 In Wendy and Jenny's Math group, the students are continuing to explore place value and how many tens and ones are in a given number.

On Friday, we had two very special guests in our classroom.  Jillian and Adam are Sophie's parents and Teah's aunt and uncle and they came to talk about Hanukkah with the children. First they told us a story about how and when Hanukkah originated.

 

Then we played Dreidels.  It was a lot of fun!

Thanks everyone for another week of exciting learning!

Reminders for next week:

- Carolling and Cocoa this Friday.  We would love some parent volunteers to help make and serve cocoa.  We would also love it if families could join us for the carolling around the neighbourhood.  Remember to dress for the weather.

- Bring your Winter Concert requests in to Viv at the office.

 

- Carolling at Dickens before school this week from 8:45 to 9:00.

 

 

* Here is Mike's information if anyone would like to contact him.  He is available for birthday parties and other events. 

 





mikescritters@hotmail.com