Pi Day is Thursday, March 14th!

 Pi Day is Thursday, March 14!

March 14 is an important date for math and science.

• Albert Einstein's birthday is March 14, 1879!
• It is the fourteenth day of the third month and can be written as 3.14 which are the first three digits of Pi!

What is Pi?

Pi has been represented with the symbol π for more than 250 years. Pi represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. 

An Irrational Number

This ratio, or pi π, is an irrational number, which means it has no end when written as a decimal number. It goes on and on and on and on.

Fun Fact 

The most decimal places of Pi memorised is 70,000, and was achieved by Rajveer Meena (India) at the VIT University, Vellore, India on 21 March 2015. Rajveer wore a blindfold throughout the entire recall, which took nearly 10 hours.  (Guinness World Records)

Pie Day

Lots of people celebrate Pi Day by making and eating pies! Yum! (Note: if you get the message Video is Unavailable, simply refresh and it will play.) Click 👇

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi

Click 👇

More Facts and Activities

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Happy Pi Day! 

Ramadan Begins on Sunday, March 10th

Ramadan begins on Sunday, March 10th.

The Learning Commons is open over lunch for those students who are fasting and would rather not be around their peers while they eat. As well, the Conference Room is available for afternoon prayers. Please see Mrs. Dickson if you need more information. 

What is Ramadan?

Celebrating Ramadan

What does Ramadan look like for kids?

What is Ramadan?

Want to wish someone a happy Ramadan?

Ramadan Mubarak! or Ramadan Kareem!

More resources

International Women's Day

March 8th is International Women's Day!

This is a great opportunity to honour and celebrate those who identify as women and their achievements in Canada and around the world. 

The Government of Canada says . . . 

From early trailblazers to today’s powerful agents of change, from the long journey for women’s suffrage towards equality of rights and opportunities for all, women have and continue to blaze a trail to create a better, more equal world for everyone.

Take a look at this timeline to discover notable events in Canadian women’s history and learn more about the powerful women who created change.

Click 👇 

Heritage Minutes

There are many one minute videos highlighting achievements by Canadian women in history. Click 👇

Women of Impact

Check out this interactive map of Canadian women who have made an impact on our world. Click 👇

The Paper Bag Princess

Watch Canadian author Robert Munsch read his book. Click 👇

The Learning Commons

Come up to the Learning Commons and borrow a book featured on our blue haired lady. 

🎵 She had a marvelous time ruining everything . . . 🎵

New Books in the Learning Commons

Come on up to the Learning Commons and check out a new book from our display! 

We have over 100 new books on display including:

• fiction
• non-fiction
• fantasy
• historical fiction
• cookbooks
• graphic novels
• and more!

 Happy reading! 

Pink Shirt Day

Tomorrow is Pink Shirt Day! 

How did it begin?

Need more information? Kids Help Phone has you covered.

• What is bullying?
• What to do if you're experiencing bullying
• What to do if you're bullying others
• How to help a friend who's experiencing bullying
• I'm a bystander to bullying. How can I offer support?

Looking for more resources? 

Wear pink tomorrow to stand up against bullying!

American Sign Language

Have you seen the Grade 6 display of plaster cast hands upstairs? Each hand is a letter in American Sign Language!

Then come in to the Learning Commons and read the message on our whiteboard! 

Borrow a book from our display of books featuring ASL (American Sign Language). Be quick! They're going fast!

The Year of the Dragon

Saturday, February 10th is Lunar New Year celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other East and Southeast Asian communities across Canada and the world. 

What is Lunar New Year? 

The Canadian Encyclopedia says :

The Lunar New Year — also known as the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, Tet for Vietnamese Canadians, or Solnal for Korean Canadians — is celebrated in Canada and several other countries. It is one of the largest celebrations for Canada’s Chinese population, it is also celebrated by Canadians from Vietnam, Korea and Southeast Asia. Although it is not a statutory holiday in Canada, many Asian Canadian businesses are closed or have reduced hours for the occasion. Since 1 June 2016, this celebration has been recognized as an official holiday in Canada.

Click 👇 

What is The Year of the Dragon?

China Hightlights says :

Years of the Dragon include 2036, 2024, 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952... People born in Dragon years usually possess natural courage, tenacity, and intelligence, often displaying enthusiasm and confidence.

Click 👇

Why is the dragon lucky?

Watch this video to see the story. Click 👇

What is the Chinese Zodiac?

Kiddle Encyclopedia says : 

The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. In traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese zodiac is very important and exists as a reflection of Chinese philosophy and culture. Chinese folkways held that one’s personality is related to the attributes of their zodiac animal. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Click 👇

Learning Commons

Come up to the Learning Commons and check out a book from our display!

Want to learn more? 

Check out these resources! Click 👇

Happy Lunar New Year!

February is Black History Month in Canada

Feburary is Black History Month in Canada!

This is an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions that Black Canadians have made throughout the history of Canada.

Heritage Minute : Underground Railroad

Watch this Heritage Minute for a concise glimpse into the experience of enslaved African Americans escape to freedom in Canada.

CBC : 23 Historical Black Canadians You Should Know

Explore these 23 Black Canadians who made major contributions to Canada's culture and legacy.

Government of Canada Quiz : Prominent Black Canadians and Their Contributions

Learn more about the important contributions that Black Canadians have made, and test your knowledge of some basic rules of written English at the same time.

The Canadian Encyclopedia : Black Canadians

This is a summary of Black History in Canada.

The Canadian Encyclopedia Quiz : Black History in Canada

Customize this quiz (easy, medium, or hard) to test your knowledge of Black History in Canada.

More Resources

Learning Commons

Come up to the Learning Commons to borrow a book from our Black History Month display!

Happy New Year!

New books for a new year! 

Come on up and see our new books on display. 

2024 is going to be a great year in the Learning Commons!

Happy Holidays!

It's almost time for our Winter Break! 

Are you ready to relax and read more books?

All About The Books

• Please return or renew any books you already have checked out
• If you borrow a book for the holidays, please do not take it with you if you travel
• Keep your school library books in a place you will remember so you can return them in January
• All books are due the week of January 8th 
• Keep track of the number of books you read so you can add beads to our jar!

Come up to the Learning Commons and borrow a book from our Snow Many Good Books display!

eBooks and Audiobooks

Want to read eBooks or listen to Audiobooks over the holidays? Use the Libby app!

• Download Libby
• Do you have a library card? Choose Yes
• Search Calgary to find Calgary Public Library
• Your library card number is your email ID (ex. jordanp23)
• Your PIN is 1234567
• Find a book to read or listen to!

Have a fabulous holiday! Relax, recharge, play games, be active, make some art, and read lots!

See you in the New Year!

Mrs. Dickson

Scholastic Book Fair

 The Scholastic Book Fair is this week!

This important library fundraiser will be in the Learning Commons this week! All proceeds will be used to purchase books and other resources to keep our collection current and relevant. 

We look forward to seeing families on Thursday evening during conference times!

• Monday : Set up
• Tuesday : Class previews
• Wednesday : Class previews
• Thursday : Sales 11:30 am to 1:30 pm and 5 - 8 pm

Brochures were sent home with students last Thursday and Friday.

Click 👇 to see a small selection of the books that will be available the book fair!

Help Needed! 

If you are able to volunteer during Sales, please contact Mrs. James in the office at cmjames@cbe.ab.ca or call the office at (403) 777-6900. Thank you!

Thank you for your support of this important library fundraiser!

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is Saturday, November 11th.

We will be honouring Remembrance Day on Wednesday, November 8th at Willow Park School. 

November is a good time to reflect on our history as a nation.

Come up to the Learning Commons and borrow a book. We have a great collection of fiction and non-fiction books on display for Remembrance Day. 

November 8th is Indigenous Veterans Day

The First Nations, Inuit, and Métis of Canada have a long and proud tradition of military service to our country. 

Click 👇 for more information.

Heritage Minutes are a great way to learn more about our history in Canada. 

Click 👇 for more information.

Take this Remembrance Day Quiz to see if you can answer these seven questions about this important day. 

Click 👇 for more information.

Why do we wear a poppy? Read about the history of the poppy in The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Click 👇 for more information.

To learn more, have a look at my slides. Each graphic is a link. 

Click 👇 for more information.

Latin American and Hispanic Canadian Heritage Month

October is Latin American and Hispanic Canadian Heritage Month.

From the 2023 Statement by Minister Khera . . . 

. . . a time to celebrate and remember past and current contributions of Canadians of Latin American Origin. Canadians of Latin American origin in Canada enrich communities across the country with their vibrant cultures, cuisine, music, and traditions. Their significant contributions to every facet of Canadian society -- from business to innovation, academics, arts, science, and more -- have also made our country more reslient. 

Click 👇

Read about Latin Canadians in the Canadian Encyclopedia.

Click 👇

Come up to the Learning Commons and borrow a book from our display!

For more information and resources, check out my Latin American and Hispanic Resources slide.

Click 👇