Peculiar Primates and More!

by Debra Kempf Shumaker and illustrator Claire Powell

Author Debra Kempf Shumaker and illustrator Claire Powell got me thinking about primates a lot through their book Peculiar Primates: Fun Facts About These Curious Creatures.  This nonfiction story-telling book is full of peculiar primate tidbits, and has you wanting more.

At the back of the book, the author offers "Further Learning."  Here is some of what she shares:

WEBSITES:

- New England Primate Conservancy

    - Videocasts by New England Primate Conservancy

VIDEOS:

Bulindi Chimps - "Nest Making is Serious Business!" (1:45)

Baby Chimps Playtime / Africa's Hidden Wonders / National Geographic Wild UK (3:56)

BASTION BOOKS:

- Primates

- Monkeys

ORL BOOKS:

- Primates

- Monkeys

Asian Heritage Month / Mois du Patrimoine Asiatique - 2024

While Bastion students and I expand our learning about Black History Month in February, in May we continue our cultural WONDERINGS through Asian Heritage Month.  As the teacher-librarian I found we do not have a lot of resources for this theme - I am slowly changing that reality.  

Please make  suggestions that may be a great addition to our collection.

Celebrate Canada's Asian Heritage - Asian Heritage Month (33 secs)

CBC Kids - Asian Heritage Month

• The Groups of People Who Live in Asia: the Biggest Continent in the World!

Historica Canada Heritage Minute: Paldi

CBC writes about Paldi which was the first "multicultural settlement in a designed way" in B.C.

Minute du patrimoine: Paldi

Heritage Minutes: Vancouver Asahi 
From 1914-1941, the Vancouver Asahi were one of city’s most dominant amateur baseball teams, winning multiple league titles in Vancouver and along the Northwest Coast. In 1942, after Canada declared war on Japan, 22,000 Japanese Canadians were interned in the interior of BC, including the Asahi players. For more information about the Vancouver Asahi, please visit: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.c... Thanks to SIM International for their sponsorship of this Heritage Minute. Credits: Asahi player – Lou Ticzon Narrator – Kaye Kaminishi

A Chinese Legend: "The Water Dragon" Kids Book Read Aloud (19:03)

Once Upon a Book Read aloud by "Read with Anna" (5:27)
Written by author Grace Lin

Grace Lin: The Story Behind Once Upon a Book by Reading Rockets (1:41)

Further Digital and Print Resources to Explore::

• Mois du Patrimoine Asiatique - Government du Canada
• Asian Heritage Month - Canadian Government
• Mois du Patrimoine Asiatique - RCI Radio Canada Internationale

• Asian Heritage Month - Radio interview of former Canadian senator Vivienne Poy by Radio Canada International, who proposed the idea of Asian Heritage Month

Some themes to explore in our Canadian History related to the struggles of the Asian Immigrant Experience:

• The "Continuous Journey Regulation" (1908) and the Komagata Maru;
• The Chinese Migrant Workers of the Gold Rush and Canadian Pacific Railway;
• The Chinese Immigration Act;
• Japanese Internment during the Second World War;
• Anti-Asian Riots of the early 1900s; and
• Islamophobic hate crimes in recent reports. 

KOMAGATA MARU:

Historica Canada (video): “The Sikh migrants who challenged Canadian immigration law” 

(approx. 7 minutes; available in French) 
Historica Canada tells of the Komagata Maru immigration attempt story.

• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Komagata Maru (available in French)

City of Vancouver: Remembering Komagata Maru (10:44)

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

• Open School BC: Saffron threads: Exploring South Asian culture, history, and heritage 

• See also Komagata Maru learning resource (available in French) 

CHAPTER BOOK TRAILORS:

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga by BPLibraryKids

"Escape from Syria" Book Trailer by Firefly Books (2:40pm)

Front Desk by Kelly Yang (Scholastic) (1:02)

Movie trailer for author Deborah Ellis' story The Breadwinner (1:54)

J Torres and Ainara Presentation about Torres' graphic novel Stealing Home (6:34)

Refugee by Alan Gratz, book trailer by Scholastic (1:12)

Heart of a Champion by Ellen Schwartz, Red Cedar Book Trailer (1:26)

Come and Learn Ozobot Coding with Us!

Ozobots are a fun way to learn how to code.  

Bastion Bobcats see the introductory videos below to begin your journey:

Introduction to Color Codes 01: Training [Full] (12:39)

How To: Colo[u]r Codes (1:56)


Learn to Code Getting Started with OzoBlockly and Ozobot Bit Robot (2 mins)

Note: a reminder to press the checkmark box after you have calibrated your Bit Robot
(so the software knows the calibration is complete)

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 02: Sequences [Full] (12:17)

Note this video is for an "Evo" Ozobot which can load your code sequence by blue tooth connection (and thus you do not have to load the coding program on the iPad or computer screen
like you do for an Ozobot "Bit").

This Youtube tutorial is great for teachers/adults using Ozobot (Bit) 

for the first time and learning how to charge and calibrate them:

Ozobot Bit How to Power On and Calibrate (3:00)

Charging and Storing Ozobots:

If Ozobot blinks red, then the battery needs to be charged as soon as possible. 
Plug the mini USB charging cable into a computer or multi-port charger and plug Ozobot into the other end.

Ozobot blinks green when it is partially charged,
and shows a solid green light when fully charged.

When Ozobot is stored for long periods of time,
leave the battery at medium charge,
since high or low charge can hurt the battery.

March Scholastic Book Club Order, 2024

Greetings Bastion Bobcats.  Book Club flyers are in (only 30 hard copies). 
Your child can pick the flyer up from the library. 

Please complete your order by March 13th.

Library code is RC 368 759

If you have any questions, please contact Mme M, aka Mme Murrells-Allaway,
teacher-librarian, smurrell@sd83.bc.ca

Pink shirt Day, 2024 #PinkShirtDay #BeKind #Lifteachotherup

  

Pink Shirt Day, 2024

Pink it up today and end bullying every day!
#BeKind



Pink Shirt Day / Kids Explain / CBC Kids (1:30)


Easy Pink Shirt Day Song for Kids (1:53) (Primary)

"Travis Price - Creating Pink Shirt Day" presented by Canadian Museum for Human Rights (4 mins)

Travis Price's Act of Kindness by Canadian Museum for Human Rights

City TV Vancouver Interview with Travis Price (4:52)



Pink Shirt Day 2012 -Flash Mob - Victoria, BC (6:20)

Books , Books and More Books!

- Bastion Library: "Bullying" keyword search
- ORL (Public Library):  "Bullying"

Canadian Bullying rates highlight the severity of the issue 

• 47% of Canadian parents have at least one child that has been a victim of bullying (Source: Public Safety Canada)
• Around one-third of the population has experienced bullying as a child.(Source: Public Safety Canada)
• Around one-third of teenagers have been bullied recently (Source: Public Safety Canada)
• And 40% or nearly half of Canadians are bullied in the workplace every week. (Source: Public Safety Canada)
• Prevnet states of LGBTQ Youth approximately 4% of teens identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning ... These kids are more likely to be victims of bullying, ... harassments and physical abuse and face a greater risk of social isolation 
  
  
  

Parent Resources & Possible Action Steps:

- Bullying in Canada, Public Safety Canada

- Get the Facts on Bullying, Red Cross

- "Help Protect Your Child from Cyber-bullying" government of Canada
- #PinkitForward - Coast Capital continues with raising awareness, spreading kindness and raising money to help fund bully prevention programs for BC youth.  This month, say something nice about someone on social media and add #PinkItForward. For each hashtag, Coast Capital is donating $1 to Pink Shirt Day

- SOGI 1 2 3 BC 

- SOGI 123 Canada

- Other Social media hashtags for Pink Shirt Day: #pinkshirtday / #PinkShirtPromise / #BeKind / #Lifteachotherup

Happy Lunar New Year, 2024!

 Wishing health and prosperity
to all in our SD83 schools and our
Salmon Arm community!

What is Lunar New Year?

    - "Chinese New Year" by Britannica.com encyclopedia

Did you know? 2024 is the year of the dragon by NBC Bay Area (1:05)


What is Lunar New Year? | Chinese New Year for Kids by Twinkl Educational Publishing (2:46)

How we got our Holidays: Lunar New Year 2024 by Office Holidays (4:09)


All About Tet for Kids | 22 January | All About Vietnamese New Year 
by Twinkl USA (3:30)

Lion Dance vs Dragon Dance:

- "The beautiful dancing creatures of Lunar New Year" by CBC Kids Team

Lion Dancing: Good Wishes for the Chinese New Year (1:54)

Dragon Dance | Pavilion Kuala Lumpur CNY 2024
Year of The Dragon (Malaysia) (10:35)

Traditions

- "Which Lunar New Year animal are you like?" by National Geographic Kids

Historica Canada celebrates Lunar New Year with a tribute to Chinese Canadians in the Second World War: they tweeted: "Happy Lunar New Year! In the past year, the Memory Project created a video commemorating the contributions of Chinese Canadians during the Second World War. Watch here:

Double Victory: Chinese Canadians in the Second World War (7:30)

Black History Month Inquiry, 2024

 What is Black History Month?

Black History (It's Yours) by Nickelodeon (2:49)
An American definition of Black History Month


For more resources check out Ms. Murrells-Allaway's blog Page
February is Black History Month / Février est Le Mois de l'Histoire des Noire

Celebrating Difference - a Key

to Black History Month

Kids Read Aloud: Mixed Me!

by Ms. P's Book Nook (6:49).  Ms. P & her puppet ask, "what does mixed mean?"

Mixed Me! - Storytime with Daddy | Children's Books Read Aloud

by OBKidz (3:16)

Unplug & Play, Jan 20-27, 2024

 

An invitation to reduce your screen time, and move and play more with family and friends for the last week of January and into your future!  

For Bastion Bobcats as well as all community members join me and some wonderful regional authors for the "Salmon Arm PJ Storytime," 5:45-7pm, Wed. Jan 24th.  Bastion Elementary, 2251 12 Ave NE, Salmon Arm, BC V1E 2V5, Canada (map).

Come listen to amazing storytellers and enjoy a delicious treat.  PJs and stuffies encouraged!  Often the Literacy Alliance of the Shuswap Society (LASS) also gives out a free book.

Enjoy you Unplug and Play week!

Unplug and Play schedule

Using QR Codes to Find Information

 

 How To Scan QR Codes:

IPads

Chromebooks

QR Code - Book Exploration

First Stage: Choose a QR Code & Watch a Book Trailer

• Choose a qr code (no turning over the sheets & peaking at titles)

• Select an Ipad or Chromebook that matches your seating plan number

• Scan the qr code (see instructional videos)

• Return the qr code to the pink bin

• Watch the book trailer video
  
  

Second Stage: Find out if the Bastion Library Has this Book

• Open the web browser Safari or Google Chrome

• Go to the Bastion homepage bas.sd83.bc.ca

• Go to the library tab and select “Alexandria Library Search”

• Click on the “Search” magnifying glass; Type in your book title or author

• Is Your Library Book on the Shelves? 

• YES: find the book on the shelves; put your shelf marker in beside the book, then take the book out (leave your shelf marker to mark its spot)

• Return to the carpet and get to know the book more deeply

• Volunteer to do a brief book talk about this book

• NO: is it already signed out?  If yes, choose another qr code and repeat steps

• Is it on the book trolley, or on display? 

• If the Bastion library doesn’t have it, please recommend it to Mme M if you think it would be a good addition to the Bastion library