This week was a blast for the Grade 7/8 class! Beginning the week with a Geography “Chalk Talk” for the Grade 8’s, we wrote and drew our ideas, without talking, on a piece of paper in brainstorm format. That was a fun way to explore a concept in a different learning form! Tuesday was Halloween, so the school had a spoooooky afternoon of fun! The sheet is now displayed in the classroom. The Grade 7/8 class ran an activity in the classroom where the “victims” had to put their hands into bowls that had icky spaghetti and other slimy substances inside, and their thoughts on what they were touching were recorded on a piece of chart paper. When that was done, the players sat down for hot potato. Other activities were Halloween BINGO, a version of Halloween musical chairs, trying to bite an apple on a string without using hands, and limbo. That evening, students ran to house after house collecting goodies! On Thursday, we had the weekly “What’s Good?” session in the Grade 7/8 class where all the students revealed something good or exciting happening in their lives while enjoying some cheese and crackers. Throughout the week, we worked on our Novel Study, “Black Like Me.” Working on everything from simply reading from the book, to studying related topics such as bus segregation laws and Rosa Parks, we deepened our understanding of what it was like to be a black person during the Jim Crow laws. Ms. Singh also taught the students to answer reading response questions in “PEA Format,” standing for point, evidence, and analysis. In music, the Grade 7/8 class has been working on the most recent song, “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley. The band also anticipates the filming of “End of an Era” by The Strumbellas for the CBC school music contest and have been practicing hard. On Friday, the Grade 8 students had a debate on factors of livability and why their factor is the most important. In art class, the 7/8 students began their watercolour silhouette piece that incorporates all of the techniques that have been learned so far. Leaving school for the weekend Friday at 3:30, the Grade 7/8 class walked out the door with a smile on their face, with the feeling that this week was the best yet!
By: Quintyn Zuber