Winter!!!

It's that time of year...time to put on your mittens, scarves, winter boots and coats. Time to find your skates, sleds, skis, and head out for some winter fun.

OR

Maybe it's time to go somewhere warm...pack your suntan lotion, swim suit, sun glasses. and go to the airport to find a hot spot.

Tell which you would prefer to do during the winter season, enjoy winter fun or go to a hot spot. Then tell why you made this choice.

Halloween Fun!

It looks like it's going to be a wet night today, but wet or not, many of you will probably be costumed and 'haunting' the malls and neighborhood streets. Have fun, but remember to be safe.

Take a few minutes and share with us what you plan to do on Halloween night. Also, if you are overseas, tell us whether or not Halloween or a similar type of night is celebrated there.

Our Environment---Astounding!

These powerful photos were taken by Alexandar during a summer trip. He writes:

Our trip was really fun! The starfish was my favorite.

Questions for the class:

What can we do to make sure that our environment stays as beautiful as shown in these photos?

Also, can you guess where these

photos were taken?

Please post your comments in the comment section.

Thank you for sharing these photos with us, Alexandar.

October Is Here!

Yes, it is October! Isn't that great! Why is it great, you ask? I'm sure there are lots of reasons!

I can think of many reasons why I love October. There are some special days in October. There have been lots of wonderful memories made in October. There are lots of things that happen in October. For example, I love October because hockey season starts! I love October because when the leaves change colour they look beautiful! I love October because...

Now it's your turn. I want you to think of one reason why October is a great month for you, and post it in the comments.

Okay, for those of you who are struggling coming up with an idea, try this: Can you tell me what important event is happening on October 14th?

Welcome to the VLN 2008/09 School Year!

We're back! We have now all begun working on our school program for this year. Things are progressing smoothly and now we have time to 'connect' using the blog. For some of you this will be a new experience. For others, this will be 'old hat'. The idea is to share our opinions, comments and experiences through the blog.

Let's begin by sharing your opinion about summer holidays. Summer holidays are just over two months long. Some people think this is too long. They would rather have a shorter summer and increase the winter and spring breaks. What if you had the power to make a change in shortening the summer or leaving it as is. What would you do and why?

You can share your opinion by clicking on the 'comments' and posting it there. I look forward to reading your opinions!

Traveling in Africa

This photo and write up has been forwarded by Joel who is a Grade 4 V.L.N. student studying in Africa this year.

I went on a 10 day trip to three different African countries. We traveled to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Kruger National Park in South Africa. On our way to Zimbabwe we saw elephants on the side of the road. In Zimbabwe we stayed by the Zambezi River. We went to Victoria Falls while there. At Kruger National Park we saw elephants, lions , a leopard , cape buffalos , kudus , impalas , warthogs , lots of birds , vultures , crocks , hippos, mice, squalls, rhinos, hyenas, eland, giraffes, and zebras. When we went to Swaziland we fished, went to a school, and we stayed there for one night. I had fun on the trip.

April Fun!

It's poetry month! The April Newsletter told you about Shel Silverstein and the enjoyment he gets from writing poetry. I decided to take a fun poem of his, change it a little, and then have you add a rhyming couplet (two lines that rhyme) to the poem. At the end of April, everyone who posts a rhyming couplet to the blog will receive a little prize.


Here's the beginning of the poem, followed by two examples of rhyming couplets:

No Schoolwork Today

"I can not do schoolwork today,"

Said little Peggy Ann McKay.






(here's an example of a rhyming couplet to add to this beginning)

My nose is clogged and I cannot breathe.
Just listen to my chest; you can hear me wheeze.

(here's another example of a rhyming couplet to add to this poem)

Penicillin, Sudafed, Tylenol too
With all this medicine, what's a body to do!

Now it's time for you to think of a fun, rhyming couplet to add to this poem and then post it in the comment section.

Spring Break!

Hi Everyone,
Spring break is here! The school is closed from March 17 to March 25. Hopefully we will have lots of sunny days to get out and enjoy the many signs of spring. Take a photo or two of some of the more splendid signs of spring and send them to me to post in our blog. Have fun!

Venice and Its Working Boats

Josh took a trip to Venice recently. There he saw all types of working boats. Here is his report.

1. Gondola: A gondola is an old fashioned Venice boat. It has one big oar and is a long narrow boat. Right how it is used for tourists. Before it was used like a taxi to get people from one place to another.

2. Vaparetto: A vaparetto is a Venetian type of bus. It's back is like a usual bus with lots of seats. But it is a boat. It's used to carry people from one stop to another.

3. Garbage scow: Garbage scows are like garbage trucks. They have an arm which picks up the garbage cans, like the ones in Vancouver, and empies them into the boat. They are green and they don't smell very good.

I also saw boats which ar ambulances, police boats, fire boats, and taxis (actual taxis-not gondolas).

2008 --- Here We Come!

It's the beginning of another new year. A chance for a fresh start. An opportunity to set new personal goals. Many people make new year's resolutions, and within a couple of days, maybe weeks, maybe months, they are forgotten.

Here's the situation. You are 'Doctor Advice'. Walter is your friend. He comes to you and says that he really wants to stay focussed on his resolution for the entire year so that he can make progress all year long. Walter asks you, "How do I keep my resolution from just being lost after a short time? What should I do to make sure I remember my resolution all year?"

So...Doctor Advice, what would you tell Walter to do?

Post your suggestions for Walter on this blog.