Exploring Our Winter Wonderland

On the way to visit their trees in the ravine, the grade one/two students explored the exciting change in the weather. It may have taken a bit of time to travel to their trees to record their observations and give their trees a hug - but the students sure loved the detours and personal challenges the natural world had to offer caused by the colder weather.

Each time the students visit their trees, they want to cross the ravine by walking on the fallen rocks instead of going over the bridge. The detour from the path is seen as a welcomed challenge by every student. They encourage each other and face navigating a successful rocky plan. Crossing on the rocks of the ravine is not just a short cut for the grade one/two students, it is a way to empower them as they individually reach their goal and have success as a class community getting to the other side. There has only been one student who slipped into the shallow water, and she recovered quite easily from the splash of the ravine water. She received lots of reassurance from her classmates that she could still keep going and make it to the other side, and that is exactly what she did!

Here the students stop to use their walking sticks to draw on the frozen part of the ravine water. They are always thinking critically and using their creativity.

Each student crosses the rocks at their own pace and enjoys the personal satisfaction of successfully reaching their goal.

Before G crosses the ravine, she notices the formation of the rocks and she improvises lying on a comfy chair.

Successfully on the other side, the students find so many places to enjoy the changes of the land. Here, they are taking on another challenge - crossing an icy path!

The icy battle continues...

Another challenge has presented itself. The grade one/twos stop to climb an icy hill. Some students use what nature has provided to climb while Ap decides to use her knees to make her way up to the top.

Here, it seems that Ap's idea of how to reach the top has caught on.

They are all almost at the top! 

All that effort to slide down the ice! That expression shows how rewarding conquering a challenge can be.

The students have finally made it to their trees. G and M share a work space that nature has provided to complete some details about the changes they see in their trees.

Ap and K share another spot that nature has provided. They work together and record their observations.

Ad is checking her work as she writes about seeing lots of dogs in the ravine.

K is using a seat that her tree has made just for her. She writes her observations and looks pretty comfy. 

C records that the last leaves have fallen from her tree. She is a keen observer and deep in thought.

Here, Z has also found a wonderful spot to sit that is provided by nature. She takes a moment to relax and record her thoughts. 

Ap is deep in thought and so comfy. She works hard at writing what she observes and enjoys a bit of a rest from all the climbing and sliding.

M smiles as she found the perfect place for her tree visit book. A broken piece of bark acts as a book holder that frees up M's hands to write her observations. Pretty clever!