Earth Day: What can we do to make a difference?

It's is great to see everyone becoming more aware of the importance of our Earth. In fact, not only is the awareness increasing, people are actually starting to make changes in their day to day lives to improve the long term health of the Earth. All of us are taking on the responsibility of making a difference. April 22 is designated as 'Earth Day', a day to re-commit ourselves to the well-being of our Earth.

Making a difference begins at home. One of the major areas to make a difference is in our consumption of energy. As we become more and more technologically advanced, we are inventing more and more electronic gadgets. We are also realizing and becoming more advanced in saving energy. I would like you to go to the following website http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/energy/energy_efficient/index.cfm Here you will find a quiz on being energy efficient. By taking this quiz you will learn how you can help reduce your use of energy and greenhouse gases. After you have played the game, post a comment telling one thing that you can do to make a difference in saving energy.

Friday, the thirteenth!

It's Friday the thirteenth. For most people, it's just another day. However, there are others that feel when Friday falls on the 13th day of a month, it is best to be on guard, because it may be a day for bad luck. This is called a 'superstition'- an idea or belief that has no basis in fact.

There are many, many superstitions that have been passed on through the years from one generation to the next. Have you heard of these:

* a rabbit's foot brings good luck

* at the end of a rainbow is a pot of gold

* if you blow out all your birthday cake candles in one breath, your wish will be granted

Think of a superstition that you have heard, and post it in the comment section.

January, 2009: Happy New Year!

A new year begins! What does this mean?

To some people it means, just another year. To others, it means a fresh start. Some like to think about the past year and then decide what changes they'd like to make in the new year. Many people like to make new year's resolutions---goals they'd like to meet in the new year. However, not very many people are successful in sticking to their new year's resolutions.

Why do you think some people are able to keep their resolutions and others are not? Is there something different about these people? Do some people have certain qualities that help them keep their resolutions that other people don't have? What are these qualities? Maybe it has nothing to do with the people. Maybe it has everything to do with the resolutions they make. Are some types of resolutions easier to keep than others? What makes some easier than others?

Is it a good idea to make new year's resolutions? Why or why not? What do you think?

Discuss the questions above with your family members, then post your thoughts about resolutions in the comment section. By the way, did you make any new year's resolutions for 2009?

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.

Holiday Time!

The holiday season has arrived, and not a moment too soon. I'm sure all of you are as ready for some fun and good family time as I am after working diligently since September. Various cultures hold celebrations at different times of the year. Some of you have the wonderful opportunity to see what happens during the holiday season outside of British Columbia. What a great experience! It would be excellent if you could share with us what is happening this time of year in the area that you reside or visit. Whether you live locally or abroad, it would be great to learn a little about a celebration that you participate in. There's a lot we can learn from each other.

Josh is visiting Italy this year and has forwarded some photos and the following write up.

Thank you Josh for your contribution!

Above is a photo Josh sent from Trento, Italy. He tells us the following: Trento is cold and damp. It has a big Christmas tree in one of the squares. There is a Christmas train that goes around some of the squares. There are lights that hang across the streets.

Holidays in Italy

When we got to Florence, we went to the Dome first. It is the largest dome made out of bricks in the world. They have a tower and a square---quite a large square. The square was full of people. The Dome's steps are on the inside. They are made of rock. There are 462 steps. There are lots of ventilation drafts as you go up. You can see out and take pictures through them. It took one hour to get to the top. Once you are at the top, you can see the whole of Florence, Italy.

Happy Halloween!

There's a chill in the air. The ground is littered in leaves. Excited children dressed in strange and unusual ways are parading through the neighborhood. It must be Halloween!

If you participate in Halloween, do you have a favorite costume or a funny or scary story to tell?

If you are overseas, do children there participate in a special day or event during this time of year?

Photos from Adam in Spain & Joshua in Italy!

Adam is a student in our class who is fortunate to be living and learning in Spain this year. He is visiting many historic sights and has forwarded the following photos taken at the Bode and Altes Museums to share with us.

The following photo shows the Bacharach fortress located on the Rhine. It is now called Burg Stahleckhostel and, as the name suggests, is used as a hostel for tourists.

Joshua is a student in our class who is currently in Italy having a fabulous time. He has sent three photos taken in Venice, Italy and has this to say about them.

1. This is Piazza San Marco where they have Carnivale and lots of pigeons.


2. This is a flying lion, a symbol of Venice.

3. This is the Rialto Bridge with a gondola going under it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving! What does Thanksgiving mean to us? A long weekend... A time to get together with friends and family...A time to eat turkey...A time to stop and give thanks for all the good things we have...

Thanksgiving probably means a little of all of these.

What do you know about the history of Thanksgiving in Canada? How did Thanksgiving start in Canada? Why do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October while Americans celebrate it in November?

I would like you to take some time to learn about the history of Canadian Thanksgiving. You can go to the website http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/thanksgiving/canada/

for information. Then I would like you to post one new fact that you learned that you found most interesting about the history of Thanksgiving in Canada.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Italian Lizard

Joshua is in Italy and has submitted this photo and comment for the class blog.

This is a lizard. It is in Bolzano, just north of Trento. The lizard was up a mountain sunning itself on a fence it had crawled up on padded feet. We had to get close up to the lizard to take the picture and it just stayed there. This type of lizard is all over the place.

Summer Memories

Kiersten writes: I went to a farm to go horseback riding. Can you guess where I went. Here are 5 choices: Washington, North Vancouver, Tennessee, Hawaii, Fiji.

Welcome to the 2007/08 School Year!

What a great September! The summer weather is still with us. I'm sure you are all participating in a lot of outside activities and having a lot of fun. At the same time, we've begun our school schedule and have all begun to work on this year's program.

Given the hot weather and the energy in the air, it's easy to look back at our vacations and all the wonderful new memories we've collected. So, on that note, I decided it would be great to start this blog with photos of 'summer memories'. What I'd like you to do is to search through your summer photo collections and choose a photo you'd like to have posted on the blog. With the photo, please email a few sentences telling us about the photo. I will then post your photo and comments on the blog for you.

I've started our 'Summer Memories' collection by posting this photo taken during my vacation. I would like you to try and guess where this photo was taken and then post your guess on the 'Comments' section of this blog. After your guess, write your first name only.

Ready? Alright! Where do you think this photo was taken and why do you think that?