Inquiry (Unit 2: Personal growth and changes)

This week in Grade 4, we dove deeper into our Personal Growth and Changes unit by exploring how our brain and emotions are connected. We started by learning about the different parts of the brain—especially the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus—and how they work together to help us make decisions, remember things, and manage our feelings.

Next, we focused on recognizing emotions in ourselves and others. We played a fun and challenging Kahoot quiz where students had to match facial expressions with the correct emotions.

To end the week, we learned the difference between reactions and responses. After a class discussion, students worked in groups to role-play different emotional scenarios—first reacting quickly, then showing a thoughtful response. Through this activity, we practiced using our thinking brains, not just our feeling brains, to solve problems and care for one another.

It’s been a powerful week of learning about how understanding our emotions can help us grow!

Our second art lesson

This week in art class, the Grade 3–5 students explored new watercolor techniques while learning about how paint behaves in different conditions. We focused on the difference between wet-on-dry and wet-on-wet painting. The students observed how wet paint spreads and blends on a wet surface, and how it stays more controlled and sharp when applied to dry paper.

We also learned about layering in painting—starting with the lightest colors first and gradually adding darker tones on top. To put these techniques into practice, the students painted skies, experimenting with soft blends and careful layering to create depth and atmosphere. It was a relaxing and creative session, and the students were proud of their beautiful skies!