EQAO prep is going very well.
Art projects are on track. Due March 4.
Science projects are on track. Dur March 11.
Play going GREAT - Tickets on sale now, $2.00 each. Two weeks from today!
Green/NDP/Liberal/Conservative Election
The parties are working SO hard crafting speeches, making posters, making their video and prepping their leader for the debate. It is SUCH a thrill to see the kids so engaged. I wish every parent could be here to see how much their child is putting into this.
To make sure this all stays fun and enjoyable, we've made a rule that parties are only allowed to say good things about themselves while campaigning. They are not allowed to say negative things about the other parties or other ideas. I just felt that I wanted the kids to enjoy this and not feel they should start trashing the other parties in order to win.
With that said, that's not often how it works in the real world.
We had a great talk today about negative vs. positive campaigning. There is often an urge to campaign negatively against the other party, but it is not always the wise choice. Sometimes politicians need to stay positive and focus only on what they can do for the country. It was a great chat. To go along with this, I am very thrilled to say that next week we will be having a Skype chat with a man named Warren Kinsella. He was an advisor who worked with Jean Chretien in the 1990's and he knows all about politics and strategy. We're going to talk to him about what goes on behind the scenes of a political campaign, and I am thrilled he agreed to chat with our class.
It's important to say that in all of this I am NOT presenting one party or idea as better than the other. I don't think teachers should share their political opinions too much with the class, and rest assured I am in no way doing that.
Our Letters to Halifax
Our letters have arrived in Halifax. Mr. Earle wrote us the kindest email, and he was very touched by our gesture. It's posted below. Also, CBC sent our class pins and buttons as a thank you for our agreeing to talk on the radio. In the end, CBC decided not to use the recordings the students made for the radio, but they were appreciative nonetheless. The Toronto interview is here if anyone missed it.
Dear Mr. Elkins and the Grade 6/7 class,
I received the letters from your class yesterday and read them last night with my family. We were all very touched. It’s clear that a great deal of thought went into every one of them.
I would like your class to know that I intend on responding in a collective email to your class and will attempt to answer all of their questions. However, I would like to take a little time to re-read them and put some real thought to my words, as they clearly did.
I promise to be in touch within the next couple weeks.
Thank you Mr. Elkins, and please thank you class for such wonderful kind words.
All the best,
Also, An online magazine called The Loop wrote an article about what's going on in our class, it was nice to read.
Finally,
A friend of mine, a United Church minister near London, used our class project as the basis for his sermon last Sunday. It, as well, is nice to listen to.
