You probably had to go through “the talk” at school and may remember feeling a bit uncomfortable. Hearing about adolescence, puberty, and reproduction makes some people blush and giggle. Well, Huzzahnians are no different. But we have developed an excellent defense: Anti-Embarrassment Goggles™.

When it’s time for those awkward conversations, just pop on your  Anti-Embarrassment Goggles™–no one will notice your red cheeks or the sweat on your brow. And you won’t be witness to your classmates’ discomfort either! You will be able to learn in the privacy of your own customized Anti-Embarrassment Goggles™ as will your classrooom neighbours. Your teacher will tell you all about the birds and the bees, you’ll learn what you need to know to bound blissfully through puberty, and life will be good.

Your customized Anti-Embarrassment Goggles™ are the latest fashion statement: feel free to strike a pose in these hot designer lenses.

Here are the winners of the Goggle Trend Eyewear of the Year Awards: from the top-

• The ‘Groucho Gets Good Marks’ by Josh–recognized for comfort and field of view (you won’t miss any details!)
• The ‘Lady GaGa Meets Star Trek’ by Caleb -very fashion-forward yet private with wrap-around style
• The ‘Spring Time in Embarrassment Land’ by Solana: when you do turn pink, you’ll just be rocking these babies even more!

Yes, we are proud of our Anti-Embarrassment Goggles™. We are available for consultation should you require your own pair for your next “Birds & Bees” talk. We are interested in feedback from our clients: do you have any design ideas for future goggles? Please let us know!

This past Friday afternoon, Huzzahnians hoisted up the sails and took to the water.  Thanks to Compass Adventures, the grade five and sixes were introduced to sailing at the Comox Marina.  Judging from the huge smiles on everyone’s faces, the afternoon was a great success.  The instructors were incredibly impressed at how fast our class caught on. 
After launching from the harbour, the four Hobie Cats (catamarans) with four students in each boat, glided across the water in perfect formation.  In the lead boat, our class’s resident sailor, Josh, put on an impressive show of tacking and keeping the sails full of wind.  The sun and a gentle wind made for a perfect day, as some of the class was also introduced to kayaking and paddle boarding on the sandy banks of the Spit.  The quote of the day, often repeated, was “This is awesome!”  I’m sure everyone is looking forward to returning and enjoying the water. 
A special thanks goes out to the instructors (James, Andrew and Molly) who patiently explained and guided us on one of the coolest field trips that I have ever seen.  Thanks, also, to the parents (Celine, Shelly, Judy, and David) who drove and our school PAC for making the event possible.

A picture + your imagination = ?

Here is an opportunity for creativity and experimentation. We will be exploring the possibilities at a site called PicLits and embedding our best ideas on our blogs. Always curious to see what you come up with, Huzzahnians.

See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

We switch our desk groups fairly regularly so we get to work with everyone in the class. Through the year we have tried several different strategies to get to know the people we learn with a little better. Drama challenges are a great way to break the ice, be creative, and have fun. I asked the students to build a human-created structure with their team mates–as you can tell in the slideshow below, they have wonderful imaginations. Can you guess the structure they have created before the answer pops up? The last slide is a tricky one!

Image credits:
That Wall by cmaccubbin
Leaning Tower of Pisa by irene.
La piramide roja by MrOmega
La Tour Eiffel by MrOmega
La sfinge by bobsuper foto
TeePee by danibelle2906
London Bridge (Tower Bridge) by Anirudh Koul
A Day in Duncan by hradcanska

Although we would never dig in the woods, we mined a rich vein of poetry during our afternoon of quiet reflection in the Northeast Woods and Lazo Marsh. Here is a handful of diamonds from student poems:

Lazo Woods, a magical forest,
So quiet that the animals think we’re tourists. –Danny

Buds that have just turned into leaves feel like they have been dipped in silk –Rebekah

I see trees in groups as if old friends were talking to each other
I notice the moss on them and it reminds me of clothing –Riannah

I look up at the blue sky, not cloud in sight.
The sun is in the corner of my eye.  –Jaiden

When I look up, I see the sun peaking through the trees
and then its rays light up everything around me
from a nurse tree to moss covered rocks.  –Riley

The woods are bright from nature’s light bulb that we call the sun.  –Payton

All I can see when I look up is the trees stretching to the sky and
Patches of the blue sky where the leaves part –Lizzie

As I lay on the big rock I look up and see the sun peaking through the canopy
As I stand on a log I feel it move beneath me
As I walk, sticks break
I could nap in you forever –Katie

Then I see a snake… it slithers it’s tongue at me and I smile at him–Easton

Lush greens spread all around giving the forest a majestic feeling.  Greyson

The cracking sound goes on,
and strikes fear into me,
for I am not a bird who can fly away,
nor am I an animal who can scatter away,
and yet I still stay. –Jessica

The wind whistles
And a cluster of pine needles
Fall like feathers from your neighbours   –Eric

Now I sit on a log
Waiting for the sun to hit me
Waiting for that touch of warmth
To end my journey.  – Priya

I love our earth and wouldn’t want to harm it –Ben

We all want to save the earth from extinction
Earth Day Earth Day Earth Day Earth Day Earth Day   –Matteo

We are indeed fortunate to have the beautiful Northeast Woods behind our school. Living in a rain forest means we do get a lot of rain in the winter, but in spring we reap the benefits: the woods are lush with new growth and echoing with bird song.

The woods are one of the best things about our school. We run through them and play in them, and today we were inspired by them. The weather was perfect for quietly sitting and appreciating our environment. We observed using all our senses–and gathered some snippets of poetry. Our poems will be on our blogs soon.

Meanwhile, be inspired the beauty of the woods.