Our Parents are "Tea"-rrific

 Last Wednesday we celebrated our wonderful parent volunteers!  Each student wrote a personal thank you to the parents for all they do for us (and the list is long) - from keeping us safe as we arrive at school, running our book fair, organizing hot lunches every week for us, coming in to our classes and helping out, driving on field trips, and on and on it goes.  We created a tray of teacups with our thank you messages on them - we appreciate our parents for so many reasons!  Thanks to all the parents of my students for all the support that they have given me this year.  You are 'Tea-rrific!'

Day 3. . . Progress!!!!

 Look who got new bikes yesterday!

Our new helper!  Nigel. . .  I think Wes was happy to have some help!



















Look at us go!  Today we practiced all the skills we have been learning during our last two days.  We are getting so good at turning, shifting gears, signaling to turn and stopping.  Today we even added the limbo to our obstacle course- we had to duck under a noodle that Ms. Dressler held out for us. 

When we went on the field today we had an obstacle course that included a ramp, a teeter-totter, a log, a noodle and some cones to weave in and out of.  It was so much fun!

The teeter-totter was a bit scary at first but many of us were able to do it by ourselves by the end of the lesson!

 We were so proud of ourselves! 

Have you ever done some biking where you have to go over logs, around stumps or up and down and over things?

Biking . . . Day 2

It was another fantastic day of learning on our bikes!  After a quick helmet check we got started. 

Our first task was to practice our turning and balance by going through a little obstacle course that was set up on the basketball court.  We had to go around hoops, over a pool noodle and down a board between some cones.  It really made us practice our turns and using our  brakes because we weren't allowed to pass anyone.

A little bump to go over!

Around the hoop. . . .

and along the board!!!!!

 Going over the board was a little scary at first but after a few times we got really good at it!


Next we moved onto the grass and learned about shifting gears. Wes told us how and when to shift gears and also that it is easier to balance if you are going faster than slower! We learned to have two hands on our brakes at all times (unless you are signalling to turn left or right or to stop).

2 hands on the brakes to stop

The most important thing we learned today is NOT to change gears when you are stopped.  It ruins the gears!!!  Some of us forgot this during our biking lesson and had to be reminded about it.  Hopefully tomorrow we can remember because we don't want to ruin  the bikes!

Finally, we learned about some of the signals bikers use when they want to turn or stop!  Even Mrs. Betts learned something new. . .  the signals  have changed since she learned to ride a bike!!!

 Wes showing us the signal for stopping!

 

A little time for review before we finish for the day!

Bike Smarter. . . Not Faster . . Day 1

Today was our first bike clinic day!  We learned lots of things about biking!  When you bike it is like surfing!  Your feet are pedaling and your hands are holding the handlebars.  When you want to turn on your bike you slightly turn your head and your bike will follow.  If you feel like you are going to fall off your bike you can slightly turn your bike and you will regain your balance.  To start your bike riding you need to have your pedal at the BOOST position.  That means your pedal is either at 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock.  This gives you enough POWER to start riding your bike.  We also learned it is harder to ride on grass than on pavement.  So you have to use a lower gear.

 Our instructor's name was Wes.  He was awesome!

First Wes had us do some warm up exercises.  We used hoops as our bikes and followed him around the field making sure we didn't hit anyone!  Then we had to do some exercises on the grass to warm up our bodies!  They were fun.



Next he made sure our helmets fit properly and then he checked our bikes.  He brought some bikes and helmets with him in case we didn't have our own.

Finally we got on our bikes and rode around on the basketball court.  Our challenge was to ride without hitting anyone or anything!  If we could do that he challenged us to high five each other - either by stopping and doing it or by taking one hand off the wheel and doing it!  We were very good at this!  Only a couple of spills and no injuries!

Next we did an obstacle course to practice turning on our bikes.  We learned that you only have to turn your head slightly to turn your bike! 

At the end we played musical bikes!  When the music stopped we had to get off our bikes and stand in a hoop.  Wes gradually took hoops away so we had to share hoops!

Day 2 is tomorrow. . . . . I wonder what we will learn?

What do YOU know about biking?

Beach Buddies!

  On Friday we had a member of the Semiahmoo Bay Society "Beach Hero" program come to talk to us about taking care of our seashore.  She introduced us to many of the creatures that live at the beach and in tide pools, and talked about how we can gently look at these creatures when we visit the beach in a few weeks, but how we need to respect their habitat at the same time.  She also brought some shells and other specimens to show us.

 Did you know that when you hold a shell to your ear, you are not hearing the waves, but an echo of your own heartbeat?

 To look under a rock, don't rock it... lift it straight up, look underneath and look at the rock too.  Then carefully put it back, since it may be the roof of a home for a beach creature!

We learned many new things about the creatures that call tide pools their home, and we will spend more time learning about tide pools in the coming weeks.  Have you ever been to the beach?  Which ocean creatures did you see there?