June Book Club ~ Great Discussion, reflection, connections and of course yummy treats

An excited group of Gr. 5 and 6's gathered in the library at long recess today to discuss our book club choice of the month 'Out of My Mind' by Sharon Draper.  The conversation started with one student voicing her dislike of the ending, especially when Penny was injured in the car accident.  We all thought it was a surprising twist, that added hardship to a family that had been through so much. Of course the drama in these details kept us reading and wanting more.        

Ayden said she has never read a book so fast and was sad when it was over as she still wanted more. Many agreed.  Everyone felt Melody was brave, smart and funny.  One student felt that Mr. Dimming was not the teacher that she would want because he didn't stand up to the meanies Claire and Molly, he didn't phone Melody's family when the plane was early and he was really mean saying "the test must be easy if Melody did well on it" .  We all didn't think he behaved well as a teacher nor as an adult. 

Catherine and Mrs. V really began creating life-changing opportunities for Melody and found ways she could have a voice. We all loved these characters.

My favourite thing about today's book club was the non-stop chatter among the students about characters, feelings and comparisons to other characters in other stories.  I loved the empathy each student spoke of and the attention to detail they showed in their conversations.  Mercedes spoke of how she could relate to Melody's use of songs for inspiration and telling a story, even creating moods and describing songs as colours and temperatures. The discussion led to connections with Rules by Cynthia Lord and Wonder by R.J.Palacio.

I thank all our students who attended the book clubs throughout the year. I get so much out of our discussions. I look forward to many more book club discussions.  Remember if you want to discuss books this summer e-mail me or blog.

Happy Reading
Mrs. Martineau

I wonder? Connecting to Our World Through Inquiry

Randerson students are finishing up the year presenting answers to their I wonder questions.  Throughout the year we have worked on the power of strong questions, how the right question can create strong learning and discovery opportunities and how hard it is to come up with meaningful questions. 

I'm pleased to see the wonderful, innovative, curious questions our students have come up with.
" I wonder how Jackie Robinson impacted my life today?"
" I wonder how Pink Shirt Day impacts me on a day to day basis?"
"I wonder why you can see the moon during the day?"
"I wonder what obstacles Audrey Hepburn had to overcome at the beginning of her career?"

From these questions, students researched, using skills developed over this year and past years including; use of databases, narrowing a google search, using webcat in our library to find the right books and subjects and asking questions collaboratively.   Students were also encouraged to interview members of the community to gain insight and understanding.  The strongest connections came when students interviewed family members. 

A Gr. 5 student interviewed her 97-year-old Great Grandmother on clothing styles in her day vs. those today. 

A Gr. 5 student interviewed her Dad and it turned into a family discussion on how he is passing his Chilean culture on to his children while living in Nanaimo.  This discussion led to the whole family coming up with ideas to celebrate and learn more about their Chilean heritage.  It truly was a powerful connecting opportunity.

Several students interviewed their coaches (hockey, fast-pitch, karate) on what it takes to be the best athlete they can be, what sacrifices are needed, what rewards are possible.  They spoke with their coaches about the coaches' experiences growing up in the sport.  This too connected the young athlete and coach at a greater level than prior to the interview. 

Students are presenting their findings in the final weeks of class. We are seeing iMovies, Power Points, videos and artifacts brought in to best showcase their answers. We are learning how to hip-hop as taught by a Gr. 6 boy, how bubble-gum is made (complete with a recipe that was handed out) and how influenced Walt Disney was by his wife's opinions. 

Students who may have been reluctant to present to an audience have made wonderful iMovies, complete with pictures, diagrams, voice-overs and details on the research they did. They have been happy to sit back with the class and watch their movie.  Response from their classmates has been phenomenal.

I have been inspired, encouraged and simply entertained by these wonderful inquiry projects by our talented students. 

Thank you Randerson kids for making my job the best one in the world!   I applaud you!!!