Meet Ellen!

My name is Ellen.  I am 15 years old and in grade 10.  My favourite thing about Sulivan is hang out with friends.  My favourite artist is Justin Bieber.  My Favourite TV show is Ellen Degeneres Show.  Some other things that I like are dancing.  Some thing interesting about me is that I like to hang out with boys and singing.

Re-energized and GO GO GROW!!!

Re-energized from a long Thanksgiving weekend, students returned to a switch in block order and a 'WHIR' of activities!

In Science, our beans were given some TLC in the Fuller residence over the long weekend, as the students were concerned that 3 days would be too long without water.  One of our grade 8 students, Jeena, googled the scientific name for our bean and we made out NYB (name your bean) chart - aka Phaseolus Vulgaris.  GROW LITTLE BEANS!!!!

In preparation for our BASES MARKET, the students will be earning paper money that can be traded for plastic replicas of actual moey and then go SHOPPING for items from the treasure box.  We hung a money line in the classroom and the students made money bags and clothes-pinned them to the line.  We look forward to the grand opening of our BASES market, sometime in November.

Students are getting EXCITED for the upcoming trip to the pumpkin patch on October 20.  We will be visiting the Apple Barn in Abbotsford and learning about apples and pumpkins.  We will be returning with a pumpin each so they can carve them the following week.  We are in the initial stages of planning for Halloween in the BASES room.

And of course students have a multitude of projects and academic work on the go!  Learning about measurement, our daily fast 5, a continents quiz, current events, journaling (and posing for the camera) are all part of a hard days work in B104.  As per usual - BASES is BUZZING!

Students Speak: What would it be like if the streets were rivers?

Alisha:  I would take a boat to see me neighbour and be able to swim to school
Fatima:  I will swim to school every day.  It will be cool because you will be living with fish and talk with them.  Life will be little different because in water you can not have car or cellphone
Nolan:  If the streets look like swimming pools then YEAH!  The streets are like swimming pools!  it has a waterslife and 3 diving boards and also kids are little, can go to the kiddie pool.  And holds up water for 65 years.  mins is the swimming pool.
Raheel: If the streets would turn to water I would swim in it and I slide on it.  if there were rivers instead of streets I would feel happy.
Katarina:  I would buy rain boots and rain coat and I will go to my house and Build a fast boat so I won't have to swim, only when I my boat is not working right, That's why I would Buy a rain boots if I ant to walk in the river and rain cost is for fun and I won't be shopping for any wet stuff unless it's raining very hard and my house will be all wet inside
Ellen:  I would like to hang out with Justin Bieber.  we swim Down the Streets were flood.  So we dive down and have fun.

Meet Jennelle!

I'm Jennelle and I am a peer tutor in BASES during block 4.  I've been working there since September.  My experience in BASES is very positive - the kids are very friendly and lots of fun.  So far I've helped the class with French, Math and thanksgiving activities like hand turkeys and thankful journals.  I enjoy watching "Saved by the Bell" every Friday and watching the kids react to the humour and the problems that happen in the show.  The reason I chose to peer tutor is BASES was because I enjoy working with students with special needs and I knew this would be the best choice for me (and it is!)  This is going to be a great experience!

Postcards, Plants, Acronyms, Synonyms, Homonyms and other Goodies

We're well into October and have fun with fall in the BASES classroom.

We've started doing a FAST 5 - our quick brain awakener in the morning.  This keeps our Math facts 'sharp' with 5 quick measurement and money questions.  Keeping with our Postcards and geography unit, we are learning about the 7 continents, memorizing by using an acronym (the first letter of each continent name).  The students created the acronym 'After Auntie Ate Nuggets, Squirrels Arrived Elephants.'  In other words, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, North America, South America, Asia, Europe.

And speaking our Postcards - our first two have arrived.  One from Germany and one from Finland!  We were excited to put these up and start our collection and learn about these exciting countries.  We've also sent off a few more - Melanie and Caitlin were kind enough to walk them out to the mailbox for us.

We are keeping a close eye on our beans - which are now planted in soil - and are starting to see green.

Did you know that we have been at school for 22 days already?  The students have decided that Mr. Hayes, Mr. Whitham's and Mr. Ranu's guestimation of where our number line will be at 100 days won't even be in the ballpark (Shhh....don't tell them).

We are also beginning a unit on 'Words are Wonderful.'  We have been learning about synonyms and homonyms.  Three of our students, Jasmine, Jeena and Janelle, delivered a coloful note to our vice-principal, Mr. Whitham, with a slew of synonms for his favorite word, 'STELLAR.'  These included outstanding, heavenly, fantastic, delightful, joyous, amazing and fabulous.

In keeping with our synonym theme, we collected words for our BLOG word - buzz - and came up with whir, hum, whiz, murmur and drone.  We also started "catch up" time on Fridays symbolized by the similar sounding "ketchup" bottle on the door!

Also, the students created a Thanksgiving Bulletin Board with typed copies of their journal writing about what they were thankful for.  Our peer tutor Jennelle also taught them how to make hand turkeys.

And as much as the BASES kids are thankful, we as the BASES teaching staff are thankful to - for our wonderful SEAs, supportive administration, collaborative colleagues and amazing kids with whom we work each and every day.

Wishing a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to ALL our BASES students, their families and to ALL our subscribes who follow our blog.

Students Speak: My Favourite Teachers...

So today in class we asked the students to journal about their favourite teacher and why for this weeks edition of "Students Speak."  These are some of the responses we received:

Katarina:  "My first favorite teacher is Ms. Yahn because She helps me tot he Dance at the cross of the floor.  My second favorite teacher is Mrs. Barry because she tells me my project is good or not.  My third favorite teacher is Mrs. Fuller because she makes me what to help her in block 1.  My forth favorite teacher is Jennelle [our peer tutor] because She is funny and help helps me on my french work.  My fiffit favorite teachers is Ms Beacker and Mr Stroh becuse we watch movies every friday"

Gagan:  "Mr Stroh is funny teacher because he fun to teacher.  Mr Neufeld is funny teacher and cool.  Mr Ranu he is cool and funny hang out with sens September 2011.  Mis backer funny and tired Mis fuller She funny and cool."

Jeena: "My favorite teacher is Mr Stroh because he's cool, fun, great, funny, bestest teacher in Sullivan Heights.  My favorite teacher is Mrs. Fuller because She's makes me laugh like crazy, she's really fun, cool, amazing, great and funny.  I think Ms. fuller is the best teacher in the school."

Ellen "My favorite teacher is mr Stroh because to call him Mr. Stroh can't Dance and bok bok Chicken.  My fave teacher is ms Yahn Because she is fun fun fun.  My fave teacher is Ms. barry because she is awsome.  My fave teacher is Mr. neufled because i call him taylor Swift."

Raheel "My favourite teacher is Mr. Stroh he is nice and friendly and helpful.  And my last favourite teacher is Mr Neufeld he is funny and always making people laught and he is a nice teacher."

Nolan "My favourite teacher is Mrs. Painchaud because she's the nice and the bad lady.  Nice is for good kids.  Non-nice is for bad kids.  She always do computer info on kids as well.  She always do ideos about cyber-bullying and treating as well.  And certainly she always be there for first-class."

Brandon "My favourite teacher is mrs blackwell and mrs. doolan and mr neufled is funny."

Shiv "favourite teacher:
1.  Mr Stroh:  he is funny and fun to hang out with
2.  Mr. Dewinetz: he is AWWWWESOMMMEE!...Best Buddies in and out of BASES.
3.  Mr. Hayes:  he is a cool guy to hang out taller than Gagandeep
4.  Mr. Ranu: he is cool and funny
5.  Mr. Whitham: is a cool dude
6.  Mr Pederson/Mr Hepting/Mr Vaughan/Mr Neufeld/Mr Miles Per Hour: Funny and Awesome
7.  Mr Mcloud: funny sinse Every Announcement "Your good to Go"
8.  Ms Yahn: she is funny and tired"

Thanks to the kids for sharing!  We are lucky to have so many great teachers in the school!  And I would agree with Shiv, many of them are AWWWWESOMMMEE!!!

The ordinary(?) and the SPECIAL

I don't know if is possible to call anything "ordinary" in BASES.  We are continuing our Math unit on Measurement and Money.  We are doing an assignment called "Name Your Bean" for our Bean plants (NYB).  Sheila Lee is coming on Tuesday for a wonderful music program.  We are doing a school wide coin find (students from the whole school can find coins and add them to our bin by the classroom, and then at the end of the month "guess" the value for a chance to win!)  We are continuing our geography/postcard assignment.  Postcards have been received in the Netherlands, Germany, Finland and Michigan.  We have since sent a few more, including more to the Netherlands and Germany, as well as Japan and Brazil.  We also participated in the Terry Fox Run on Wednesday.  Now that I think about it, none of this is "ordinary."  Everything in our class is EXTRAORDINARY.

This week we had an extra SPECIAL event.  Our Principal and Vice-Principals came for a visit to the BASES room.  The students had the chance to share what they are learning.  This included having them plant their own beans, add their height to the class height chart (part of the math measurement unit), add their guess to the 100 days line, checking out iPads and sharing some cookies.  We are so much at Sullivan Heights, an in BASES to have such invested and supportive administrators!  The kids had a wonderful time and were so proud to share all they learned!

Fatima shows Mr. Hayes and Mr. Whitham how to plant their beans.  

Arman is excited to see the visitors in our classroom!

 Raheel and Mr. Hayes check out the BASES blog on the iPad!

 Hamza gives an iPad demonstration to Mr. Whitham and Mr. Ranu

 Hamza measures Mr. Hayes on the Height chart.  Apparently Mr. Whitham and Raheel are the same height.  We tried to verify this with a back to back challenge.  They are the same height, though Raheel's hair gives him a slight advantage.

 Students watch as Mr. Whitham get's measured.  Alisha follows up the height chart with a platter of cookies to share.