Our Inspirations (class blog)

Top 5 from 4/5!

6/19/2025

Hey everyone!
Can you believe it? We’ve made it to our final weekly homework of the year! 🎉
For this week’s blog post, I’ve got a fun and meaningful challenge for you:
Share your top 5 moments from grade five.
Here’s how you can bring it to life:

Choose your format
Write a blog post or create a slideshow with images – the choice is yours!
Describe each moment
Use your best descriptive writing to help us picture it like we were there.
Explain what made it great
What made each moment special? Why did it stand out for you?
Add images
If you have photos to go along with your memories, include them!

That’s it. Easy and fun.
I cannot wait to read and see your favourite memories on Friday. Let’s finish the year strong with something that celebrates everything we’ve shared!

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Dear Future Students ~ A Letter from 4/5 Students

6/12/2025

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Hey there, future authors and storytellers! I've got a super fun and important homework task for you this week. Ready for it? 🎉
I want you to write a letter to my future students—yep, the lucky kiddos who will be in Mr. Steltman's class next year. Your mission is to help them understand "How to be successful in Mr. Steltman’s Class."
Here's the best part: You can be as funny, honest, and creative as you like! Share all the tips and tricks you think would help someone thrive in my class, even with all my quirky habits. Think about what you've learned, the fun moments, and those little things that make our class special.
These letters will be like a secret treasure map for my new students, and I'll share them on the very first day of school in September. So, get those creative juices flowing and have fun with it!
It could be a good time to use “Five tips to being successful with Mr. Steltman!”
I can't wait to read your letters and see the amazing advice you'll pass on!
Happy writing! ✍️
Mr. Steltman

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The Final Chapter

6/4/2025

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You’ve written so many stories this year, on paper and in your own life. You’ve grown in your learning, worked through challenges, and created things you didn’t know were possible. From solving tricky math problems to building wild and wonderful projects, you’ve shown creativity, grit, and heart. I couldn’t be prouder.

But the story isn’t over yet.

Imagine your school year is a novel. Right now, we are in the final chapter. This is the moment where the main character, you, looks back at everything they’ve overcome and decides how they want the story to end.

Here’s your challenge for this week’s blog:

🎯 Write the final chapter of your school year like it is a story
✨ Start by choosing one thing, something you’re proud of, something that surprised you, or something you’re still working on
🌟 Tell us about it like a moment in a book. Add emotion, description, dialogue if you want. Then end with how you want your story to finish in these last few weeks

Example:
He stared at the blank page. Everyone else had already started typing, but his mind was as empty as the screen in front of him. “Come on,” he whispered to himself. “You’ve got this.” And then, slowly, the words began to appear…

I can’t wait to read your stories. Let’s end this year with a strong final chapter. You choose how it ends.

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Screen Time Check-In!

5/29/2025

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For your blog post this week, I have a bit of a challenge for you. Can you track the amount of time that you spend on screens (computer, tv, ipad, phone, etc.) from Sunday to Thursday. Track the hours of the following table. Once you’ve done this I’d like you to reflect on it.
🎯 Did you know? Experts say that 2 hours of recreational screen time a day is the healthy max for kids. But on average, most kids go way over—some hit 4, 5, even 6 hours a day!
Too much screen time can leave your brain feeling foggy, your body feeling sluggish, and your sleep all messed up. Not to mention, it eats up time you could spend doing something awesome—like playing outside, drawing, reading, or building blanket forts!📝 Your Blog Post Challenge
Once you’ve tracked your time, write a post titled “[Your Name] vs. The Screens!”
Answer these questions:

What surprised you most about your screen time this week?
How do you feel after lots of screen time vs. less?
Come up with 5 fun, creative, or helpful things you could do instead of using a screen!

Let’s see who can take on this challenge and maybe even start a new screen-time habit. Bonus points if you make it a family challenge!

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Best Vacation EVER!

5/21/2025

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Last weekend was May Long Weekend, a time when some people go away on their first outdoor vacation of the year. Some people camp, some go to cottages and some go out into their garden to begin planting and preparing for the upcoming summer season. Your task this week is going to ask you to dive into your memories and think back to an amazing vacation you’ve had with your family. Perhaps you went on a big trip somewhere amazing, perhaps it was at home and you all did something that really sticks out in your mind. Use your descriptive writing skills to help you write a paragraph about your favourite vacation. If you cannot think of a vacation that you’ve ever been on, you can describe your dream vacation.

For example:
The birds are chirping and the sun feels warm as it shines through the top of my tent. I roll over in my sleeping bag and begin to wake up. As I get out of the tent, my family also wakes up with me. We head out of the tent and begin to make a fire. As the sweet smell of camp smoke reaches my nostrils, I begin to prepare the coffee. The sun gets warmer as the fog burns off of the lake. It’s another beautiful day and I’m looking forward to sharing it with my family.

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Challenges with The Lion King!

5/15/2025

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This week, we’re diving into the wild savannah with The Lion King—a movie full of powerful moments, unforgettable characters, and big life lessons. Whether it’s Simba learning to take his place in the Circle of Life or Timon and Pumbaa spreading laughs and loyalty, The Lion King has so much to teach us about what it means to grow up, be strong, and treat others with kindness.
For this week’s blog post, you get to pick one of two challenges—just like Simba had to choose whether to run from his past or face it. Are you ready? 📝🦁
✨ Choice 1: The Hard Work of Being BraveSimba didn’t become king overnight. He made mistakes, faced huge challenges, and had to work really hard to figure out who he was meant to be. Think about a time you had to work hard at something—maybe it was a tricky assignment, learning a new skill, or doing the right thing even when it was tough.
👉 What did you learn from that experience?
👉 How did your hard work help you grow, just like Simba?
💛 Choice 2: Kindness That Makes a DifferenceEven in the middle of big battles and tough moments, The Lion King shows us the power of friendship and kindness. Timon and Pumbaa stuck by Simba when he needed it most.
👉 Write about a time you showed kindness or someone showed it to you.
👉 How did that moment make a difference—for you, or someone else?
Whether you write about hard work or kindness, your job this week is to bring your story to life with detail, honesty, and heart. Think about what The Lion King taught you—and then show us how you’ve seen those lessons in real life.
Can’t wait to read your ROARSOME reflections! 🦁💬🔥

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Look Up!

5/8/2025

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This week, please watch a powerful video called Look Up by Gary Turk. In it, he shares a spoken word poem with a big message--sometimes we miss out on the real world because we’re too busy looking down at our screens.
The video asked us to think about how we use technology and what we might be missing: a chance to meet someone new, a beautiful moment in nature, or even just a real face-to-face laugh with a friend. It’s not about saying technology is bad, but about remembering to stay connected to the world around us—not just the one on our screens.
This week, your job is to think about what the video meant to you and write a blog post based on one of the following questions:
🔹 What do you think was the most important message in Look Up?
🔹 Have you ever missed out on something because you were distracted by technology?
🔹 What are some ways we can balance technology use and real-life experiences?
🔹 Can you write a short story or scene where a character chooses to “look up” and something amazing happens?
I think the most powerful part of the video was when Gary said, “We’re a generation of idiots—smartphones and dumb people.” That hit hard! It made me think of the time I was at the park, but I spent most of the time texting instead of playing with my girls. Now I wonder what other fun moments I’ve missed. From now on, I’m going to try to put my phone away when I get home.
Let your writing be honest, thoughtful, or even creative and fun. Whether you choose to reflect or tell a story, I can’t wait to read your posts and hear your thoughts on how we can all look up a little more. 🌍💬✨

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Kindness Rules!

5/1/2025

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Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about kindness, solving problems, and trying to be the best people we can be. So this week, you get to turn those ideas into a short story!
Your challenge: Write a story where someone shows kindness and it turns a regular moment into something awesome. It could be at school, on the playground, at the park—anywhere!
Here’s a quick example to get you started:
Jamie was racing down the hallway, late for class again, when boom!—the zipper on their backpack exploded open. Books, markers, crumpled papers, and a sandwich (still in the bag, luckily) slid across the floor like they were in a race. Worst of all? Jamie’s superhero trading cards scattered everywhere. Kids stepped around the mess without a second glance, their eyes glued to their phones or chatting with friends. Jamie dropped to their knees, cheeks burning, and started picking everything up alone.
Then, a pair of high-top sneakers stopped right in front of them. Jamie looked up—and couldn’t believe it. It was Chris, the kid who could land every trick at the skate park and had the coolest silver chain ever. “Need a sidekick?” Chris grinned, already scooping up the cards. “Silver Cyclone’s my favourite too.” They worked together to pack up the mess, and Jamie’s bad day didn’t feel so bad anymore. As they walked to class, talking about comics and cracking jokes, Jamie thought one thing: being kind? That’s a real superpower.
Now it’s your turn!
✔️ Make up your own characters
✔️ Set the scene
✔️ Show how a small act of kindness made a big difference
I can’t wait to read your stories and see how cool kindness can really be! 😎💬💛
Remember, the aim is to showcase that kindness isn’t just nice—it’s cool, it’s heroic, and it’s something everyone can do. Now, go ahead and craft your tales of kindness!

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Dear Future Generations: SOrry

4/24/2025

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Hey Earth Defenders!
This week is Earth Week—a time to celebrate our planet and think about how we can protect it. We watched an awesome video called “Dear Future Generations: Sorry” by Prince Ea. His message was powerful—he made us think about what’s happening to our planet and reminded us that the future depends on us.
But instead of writing letters this week (because we’ve done a bunch of those!), let’s shake things up...
Your Task: Write Your Earth Hero Origin Story! 💥🌱
That’s right—you’re becoming a superhero for the planet. Just like every great hero, you need an origin story! Your blog post this week should tell the tale of how you became an Earth-saving legend. You can make it realistic, magical, funny, or totally wild—it’s your world!
Use your creativity to answer these questions in your post:
1️⃣ What was the moment you got your Earth powers?
Did a lightning bolt hit you while you were recycling? Did you fall into a compost bin and come out with the power to talk to trees?
2️⃣ What’s your superhero name?
Are you Captain Compost? The Litter Ninja? Solar Girl? Pick a name that shows your powers!
3️⃣ What’s your special ability and how do you help the planet?
Can you clean the oceans with one wave of your hand? Plant 100 trees with your sneeze?
4️⃣ What’s one real thing you actually do in your everyday life to help Earth?
Even superheroes start with small steps—what’s yours?
🧠 Example:
I became The Plastic Phantom after slipping on a pile of plastic water bottles and landing in a recycling bin filled with banana peels. When I came out, I could see every piece of litter within a 10 km radius and clean it up in the blink of an eye! My sidekick is a compost-eating raccoon named Banana Beast. Together, we keep parks clean and teach kids how to reduce waste. In real life, I always bring a reusable water bottle and say no to plastic straws. 🌍♻️

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Digging Up the Future – What’s in Your Time Capsule?

4/16/2025

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Lately, some of the students have been digging in the school yard—maybe they’re hoping to strike treasure or discover something ancient. That got me thinking…
What if they eventually come across a time capsule?
A time capsule is a container filled with special items from today—things that help tell the story of our lives right now. It’s buried underground or hidden away to be opened many years in the future. Imagine students 50 years from now digging up your time capsule. What would they learn about you? About your class? About what life is like in 2025?
For this week’s blog post, I want you to imagine this:You’re making a time capsule to bury in the school yard.
👉 What 3 things would you put in the capsule and why?
👉 What do you hope future students would think or learn when they find it?
Here’s an example:
“If I was making a time capsule to bury in the school yard, I’d want to include things that really show what life is like for me right now. My first item would be a Iced Capp because I drink one in the morning and it is the best drink. Second, I’d put in a Stanley water bottle since it’s so preppy. Last, I’d add a Chromebook because I would want future students to see the type of technology that was used at school before they were born.”

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<<Previous

Top 5 from 4/5!

Dear Future Students ~ A Letter from 4/5 Students

The Final Chapter

Screen Time Check-In!

Best Vacation EVER!

Challenges with The Lion King!

Look Up!

Kindness Rules!

Dear Future Generations: SOrry

Digging Up the Future – What’s in Your Time Capsule?

Mr. Steltman's Class

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