We’ll weather the weather!

At the moment, Upper Primary pupils are learning about Antarctica! The exciting Entry Point for our new IPC-unit Weather and Climate is called ‘Operation Freezer. Pupils are pretending that they are Team Antarctica and that they have to rescue a group of scientists stuck in their research station. To be able to rescue them, pupils need to gather as much information as possible about Antarctica, about life there and about what you need to bring with you to survive there. What do you wear there? What do you eat? How do you get there and how do you travel about? How do you go to the toilet? Can you take a shower?

Pupils have looked at maps and studied globes, they have read books and searched for information on the internet, they have brought books from home and they have discussed their rescue mission. Now they are starting to understand what a unique place Antarctica is.

To make it even more exciting, Upper Primary pupils had a visitor this week. Professor Elie Verleyen from UGent has visited Antarctica several times and he visited our classroom Wednesday morning. He shared some of his Antarctica experiences with Upper Primary. We found it both interesting and fun to listen to him and it was interesting to look at the photos he brought! Some of us even tried on his thick and warm boot! We learned a lot! Thank you for visiting us, Professor Elie!

In Literacy, pupils are reading both fiction and non-fiction books and working with different types of follow-up questions. Pupils have been writing different text types, the last one they tried was diaries and they handed in lovely diary extracts to Miss Jenny. They are of course learning a lot of new vocabulary connected to the IPC-unit – not only weather words, but also weather idioms and weather poetry.

Last week pupils performed in the big room. They shared their Kamishibai stories with both pre-primary and primary pupils. Upper Primary pupils did such a good job and were so proud afterwards!

In Numeracy pupils are learning more about multiplication, division, decimals, area and perimeter. They are learning more about 2D and 3D shapes and their properties and they are learning how to plot co-ordinates in the first two quadrants. They are learning useful numeracy vocabulary while doing this as well!

Pupils have had an outdoor choosing time, playing games in the sun. That was lovely! And last week Mieke turned 10 years old and had a birthday party in class. That was lovely too!

Upper Primary pupils just came back from their Easter holidays and they are already busy bees. It is exciting to learn more about our fantastic planet and all the things that happen here. Parents, be prepared to discuss the weather with your children for some time now!

Whether the weather be fine

or whether the weather be not

Whether the weather be cold

or whether the weather be hot

We’ll weather the weather

whatever the weather

whether we like it or not!

(author unknown)