School Update
To the students and families of MRS,
We sure have missed the constant buzz of students attending field studies and engaging in learning beyond the walls of the school. With the warm weather upon us, teachers have been tirelessly planning upcoming walking trips for students to experience. Stay tuned for more information about your child’s upcoming experiences.
On-site, grade teams have continued to bring science to life each day. The kindergarten students have been investigating dinosaurs, learning to draw scientific sketches including specific labels.
Bird watching in our naturalization area is where you will find some of our grade 1 students. They have been creating homes for birds in order to draw more species to our front yard. Moving from sky to sea, in preparation for the Yellow Fish Road program, the grade 2 students have been exploring water filtration systems, by creating their own filters to clean polluted water.
This past week Grade 3 classrooms prepared for the addition of their pet Praying Mantids to their classrooms. On Wednesday, we welcomed Neil Armstrong, Pickles and Hunter to the Maple Ridge School community. Keen observation will allow these students to witness the life cycle of this fascinating invertebrate.
While the grade three students were researching and observing their new pets, the grade 4 students have been immersed in the design thinking process as they set their sights on designing a vehicle that will travel the greatest distance with only the momentum of a ramp. After numerous prototypes, modifications and tests the students have been honing their designs to make their vehicles more effective each time.
We are looking forward to watching these little scientists continue to imagine, inquire, innovate and inspire!
Kind regards,
David Laidlaw and Sandy McNeil
Upcoming Important Dates
April 22
School Council Meeting 6:30 pm (Virtual)
PTA Meeting 7:30pm Virtual
April 22
Earth Day
April 26
Non-instructional Day
May 24
Vicotria Day (No School)
Covid-19 Update
Thank you to our students, families and teachers who experienced their first quarantine period due to a positive case in our school. Our thoughts are with the family directly affected. We will welcome students and teachers back next week to in-person learning.
We continue to remind families to follow the guidance of AHS by administering the check list each morning prior to attending school, reminding students to wear their masks properly and wash their hands diligently. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support.
School Budge and Fee Engagement Opportunity
The purpose of this online engagement is to gather feedback from parents on school budgets and school fees to help inform the decisions we make while complying with legislated and operational expectations. When students, staff and parents work closely together, students experience greater success in achieving their goals.
The survey itself takes an average of seven minutes to complete. Please click here to begin the survey and provide your feedback.
Earth Day – April 22
Teachers and students are planning a variety of activities in honour of Earth Day.
This is an opportunity for students to learn about environmental stewardship as they consider how we care for this place. More information about the Earth Day initiative in Candad can be found here: https://earthday.ca/
Scientific Interest
Did you know Praying Mantids can swivel their head 180 degrees? The Praying Mantis gets its name from how it holds its forearms.
Check out these interesting facts about the newest residents of Maple Ridge School.
