Celebrating Pi Day!

The fourteenth of March was a very special day for the grade sevens of Immaculate Conception School. This was because it was National Pi Day. As you may know, the most well known numbers and decimals of pi are 3.14, and the date was 3/14 (the third month, March and the fourteenth day). On this day, the Grade Sevens not only celebrated pi, but pie as well. There was a pi memorization contest, where one of our contestants had an astonishing amount of digits memorized: 122! There was also a no-hands pie eating contest of mini tart shells and blueberry or strawberry rhubarb filing, which got pretty entertaining. Another of the activities was “The Pi Hunt.” The object of the game was to find the circumference of a circular shaped  object by using string, and then measuring the string. Then, each group had to find the diameter of the object by using a ruler. Finally, we had to find the pi of the object, by dividing the circumference by the diameter. Whoever was the closest to the exact digits of pi, won. There was also regular pie for those who did not want to hurl mini pies down their throats. (I was one of them.) All in all, it was a very “filling day!” For those of you who celebrate a birthday on Pi Day, firstly, happy birthday, and secondly, I hope you enjoyed your pie over cake!

Studying Salmon

Over the past months, the Grade One students of Immaculate Conception School have been studying the life cycle and anatomy of different types of salmon. On March 12th, the Grade Ones, alongside their Grade Seven buddies, were able to take part in a once in a lifetime experience - the dissection of a sockeye salmon. A leader in the area of salmon enhancement took us through the intricate steps of a dissection. He highlighted the outer parts of a salmon such as the fins, mouth, eyes, and lateral line. Alongside our buddies, we drew a chart comparing and contrasting a salmon’s body with standard human anatomy. We also studied the salmon’s innards! Both classes oohed and ahhed at the fascinating sight of the salmon’s organs such as the swim bladder, heart, liver, as well as the long awaited brain.

Overall, both classes loved the intriguing sights and the interesting facts they gathered from an exciting day in Grade One!

Holy Thursday Retreat

On Holy Thursday, the community of Immaculate Conception school held its annual spiritual retreat. Family groups, comprised of students from each grade, gathered for opening and closing prayers in the church, planned and led by our Grade Seven class. In between the prayer services, the students participated in three breakout sessions focusing on the Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil.

Our retreat leader invited parents and the Grade Seven students to reflect upon and explore the blessings of these holy days. The retreat was a spirit-filled experience for all of us!