Flowing lava, rocks, heat and explosions were the topic of many conversations during the St. Francis Catholic Elementary School full-day kindergarten’s recent study of volcanoes. Mostly curious about lava and how the volcano erupts, the students, with the help of their teacher Karen Healy, were able to find many resources to answer their own questions. According to the students, creating a volcano in the class was the most exciting part of this inquiry and scientifically testing different types of pretend lava to see which flowed or erupted the best was the highlight of our volcano study.
The students were curious about what their teacher was going to use to make the volcano explode. When they were told that we were not only going to try one eruption but three, the students went crazy and were super-excited!
Upon presenting the materials for the three reactions to the students, they were asked to make a Hypothesis (which the students now know is a good guess), about which materials would make the biggest eruption. The students were able to choose from vinegar and baking soda, Elephant toothpaste (Google it!), and Diet Coke and Mentos. A handful of students picked the first two, with the majority of the class choosing the Diet Coke and Mentos. They put our hypothesis to the test and after doing the experiment and recording observations, the students concluded that the Diet Coke and Mentos was the biggest eruption!
The teacher also took this opportunity for learning to talk about safety in the science lab and classroom and how important it is for all students to follow directions.
Nicole Snow, Superintendent for the school, visited the class during their volcano inquiry. “What a great teaching moment for these kindergarten students,” Snow said. “Taking part in a hands on learning opportunity like this really allows the students to get a deeper understanding of the subject they are studying. This is a really great example of an authentic positive learning experience that will stay with the students!”
Sudbury Catholic Schools Celebrate Franco-Fun Day
On March 20, all Sudbury Catholic Schools took part in Franco-Fun Day activities. Franco-Fun day is a day dedicated to celebrating French language and culture. Whether it be French Immersion or core French students, each school set up a variety of activities to honour French language for all the classes. Staff put a great deal of time and effort into planning the events, and the students had an outstanding time learning new words and taking part in all of the activities, some of which included French concerts, cooking French foods, French-themed playdays, and sport activities instructed in French, etc. Lianne Perreault Raymond, a curriculum consultant for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board who was responsible for the coordination of the Franco-Fun Day activities, was thrilled with the efforts made by all the schools to embrace French culture and language on Franco-Fun day. “What an outstanding effort by our schools and staff,” Perreault-Raymond stated. “They have really outdone themselves, as they do every year, by making this year’s Franco-Fun day truly a day that honours and celebrates the Francophone culture in our community. From cooking crepes to singing French songs, I am very proud of everyone’s contribution to making this year’s Franco-fun day such a success!”
Catherine McCullough, Director of Education for the board echoed Perreault-Raymond’s comments. “Our staff has once again done an outstanding job for our students through their Franco-Fun day activities and celebrations. We recognize the importance of supporting French language skills, and know that our Board’s French Immersion programming is such a success because it is supported throughout our system.”