Our last week of school! December sure has gone fast, hasn’t it? For our last major blog post of December, I have set out some reminders, some notes and some fun items to sustain in your in these long, cold, dark days of December.

First, some reminders:

• Family Challenge Projects: These are due on Tuesday. These catapults should be able to throw a wadded up set of three pieces of paper.
• Salvation Army Food Drive: We are still trying to raise money to meet our $5000 goal by Wednesday. Any money donations would still be very welcomed, even if it is just a dollar. Donations can also be made by e-transfer through the office.
• Last Day: Just a reminder that Thursday is the last day of school this week and it will be a full day.
• Concert Video: Our school Christmas Concert video should be available for viewing by Thursday. You will find it on our main Highroad Academy site.

We’ve been doing lots of fun things in class these last couple of weeks. In Science, we have continued to look at the Sun, Moon and Earth all interact with each other to create night and day, the seasons and more! We have also been using spreadsheets and graphs to track the amount of sunlight we are getting compared to Sydney, Australia! Students have had fun customizing their tables to show their data in unique ways. In writing, students have started a new story, sharing what would happen if they got stuck in a snowglobe. We are going to take pictures of the students and insert them into their own snowglobes to go with their stories. Lots of fun to be had in Grade 4!

Speaking of space…. Did you know that on December 21st, the planets Jupiter and Saturn are going to be the closest they have been since … well… a long time. An article I read states that…

On Dec. 21, which is also the date of the winter solstice, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn will appear to align in the night sky, occurring as a single ultra-bright light in a rare event known as the “Christmas Star.” This of course depends on a forecast of clear skies.

It’s known as a great conjunction, and while it technically occurs every 19.6 years, scientists say the last time the two planets were this close to each other would have been in 1623.

But that great conjunction would have happened so close to the sun that it’s unlikely people would have been able to see it, said Rachel Ward-Maxwell, a researcher-programmer in astronomy and space sciences at the Ontario Science Centre. The last time the event would have been visible to the naked eye would have been in 1226, or nearly 800 years ago, Ward-Maxwell added.

“It really is a once-in-a-lifetime — once-in-multiple-generations really — event,” Ward-Maxwell said.

The two planets will look like a single bright star, and it will be the brightest object in the sky, she added.

The great conjunction is named so because it involves the two largest planets in the solar system. The timing of this event has brought it the name “Christmas Star.” Some have pointed to it as an astronomical explanation for the biblical “Star of Bethlehem,” which is said to have been connected to the birth of Jesus, and now serves as a symbol of the season.

Here is an illustration of this progression towards the conjunction.

God’s creation is endlessly, infinitely breathtaking and magnificent.

Our music last week definitely brought me back to my childhood. I had a very strange upbringing when it comes to music which has informed my musical tastes. I have a very eclectic mix of musical interests. One of those eclectic favorites is Roger Whittaker, who sings some of my favorite Christmas albums. Growing up in Nova Scotia, we would always listen to the Roger Whittaker Christmas albums on 8 Track…. that’s right! 8 Track!! I still listen to these albums today. Not on 8 track, though, thank goodness! Now, I thought I was the only one who listened to these albums, but discovered that Mrs. Noordam is also a huge fan. What are the odds! Anyway, here they are for your listening pleasure.

Finally, here is a fun wintery game for you to try out: