This week, our grade four pre-service teachers started their own “Fun Club”. This program runs twice a week with the intention to build relationships and create stronger bonds with all of the grade four students. The students were surveyed about the variety of different activities that could be offered each week. This week’s groups participated in some Halloween cookie decorating and a cooking class! Our pre-service teachers are very excited to continue connecting with the students throughout the next 6 weeks. 

Using the story “I’m Not Afraid of this Haunted House” by Laurie Friedman as a mentor text, the students started a fun and engaging descriptive writing activity this week. For this writing project the students take on the role of a real estate agent and write an advertisement to persuade a buyer to purchase their haunted house. After the initial brainstorming of nouns and adjectives, they completed a sensory detail planner listing things they would see, hear, feel, and smell if they entered a haunted house. Next week the students will present their real estate listings to the class.

The students explored Tim Burton’s distinctive art style, characterized by exaggerated features—particularly large, expressive eyes that dominate the face, while other facial elements are smaller and darker. This lesson was inspired by our class read-aloud of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

Students began by following step-by-step instructions to draw the basic structure of their character, including the head, eyes, and neck. Afterward, they were encouraged to personalize their creations by adding unique facial features, making their “Spooky Selfies” reflect their own individual styles and expressions.

The students finished their artwork for the Christmas Card Fundraiser this week. Their art will be turned into a one-of-a-kind Christmas card. More information and order forms will be coming home soon.