Elementary students step into Seussville

Stettler Elementary school gym was transformed into a super-realistic replica of Seussville during our Seuss Days. Students were awestruck by the very creative Cat in the Hat house made by the talented Bonnie Lynn.

The whole gym was decorated with several Seuss characters and décor. Mrs. Kim Poapst and Mrs. Charlee Mappin dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2 as they navigated students through numerous fun activities.

Our principal Pat Johnson dressed up as Cat in the Hat but changed her name to Pat in the Hat.

Before the Dr. Seuss games began, students said the Whoville pledge: “Today you are you that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you.”

Some of the innovative games were: Comet ball Relay, Stilts races, two-fish race, Frisbee throws at Dr. Seuss characters holding hula hoops and Lorax Races where we talked about the Lorax and his environmental influence on the world. Students raced in plasma cars which are nonpolluting and did the green Eggs and Ham race. This was an amazing event that was really enjoyed by all. We are very thankful for Mrs. Poapst and Mrs. Mappin for organizing this event.

Grade 5 students have started Recorder Karate under the guidance of Tricia Kirby, our Grade 3-5 music teacher.

Students practise nine songs that gradually increase in difficulty. When a student passes a level they receive a karate belt for their recorder. At the end, students have nine different colored belts with the last one being the black belt. Students are very motivated to practice and test for the belts.

Grade 5 students in Carmen’s Fox class produced art work inspired by the Group of Seven Artists. Students looked at sample paintings of the Group of Seven Artists who were all Canadian. The focus of their artwork was always on our unique Canadian landscape. Their artwork was the grade five’s inspiration as they planned and drew their own favorite landscapes and then used a soft chalk pastel to finish off their pieces.

This was also an extension of grade five Social Studies lessons as students just finished learning about Canada’s Geographic Regions.

Kindergarten students in Denyse Boyd’s classroom are doing a Smart Learning sequence with the book “Pete the Cat”.

Mrs. Ecklund’sGrade 3 students are finishing a partner story-writing project on the computers. The stories are entitled Snow Day and are about a group of kids who end up having to stay in the school because of a blizzard and the adventures they have until they can go home.

On Thursday, Feb. 2, students celebrated Groundhog Day with several educational activities.

According to folklore, the groundhog Phil’s sighting of his own shadow means there will be 6 more weeks of winter. Had Phil not seen his shadow, it would have meant “there will be an early spring.”

Students enjoyed hot lunch on Friday, Feb. 3. We thank our school council once again for their support.

A draft of the 2012-2013 calendars is now available. The Clearview School Division encourages people to check out next year’s draft. Suggestions and comments are welcome. The web link is: http://www.clearview.ab.ca/next calendar.

On Friday, the whole school and staff wore red and pink as we wished Mrs. Lynn well. Our prayers and thoughts accompany her as we await her speedy recovery.

To conclude our Dr. Seuss celebration, I’ll end with this quote: “There’s no limit to how much you’ll know, depending how far beyond zebra you go …”